Recipe - Italian New Years - Cotechino Wlentils And Broccoli Rabe

3 Stalks celery; halved
crosswise
1 lg Carrot; halved crosswise
1 lg Leek; halved lenthwise and
crosswise, well rinsed
1 Bay leaf
1 Sprig fresh thyme
6 cup Water
3 cup Dried lentils; rinsed
1 teaspoon Salt
3 cup Chicken broth
1 One half pound Cotechino; or other garlic
sausage
1 tablespoon Fresh parsley; chopped
One half teaspoon Ground black pepper
2 bn Broccoli rabe; woody stems
removed
1 tablespoon Olive oil
1 Clove garlic; finely chopped
One half teaspoon Crushed red pepper

Prepare bouquet garni: place celery, carrot, leek, bay leaf, and thyme in
center of a piece of cheesecloth and tie together tightly to create a bag.
In 5quart saucepot, heat water, lentils and bouquet garni to boiling over
high heat. Skim off any foam that comes to surface. Reduce heat to low and
simmer lentils until tender about 35 minutes. Add salt to lentils halfway
through cooking time. Drain lentils in strainer, discarding bouquet garni;
set lentils aside. Meanwhile in 4quart saucepan, heat chicken broth to
boiling over high heat. With fork, pierce sausage all over. Place sausage
in boiling broth. Reduce heat to low; cover and cook sausage until cooked
through about 40 minutes. Remove sausage from broth to cutting board;
cool until easy to handle. Remove casing and slice sausage crosswise into
1/4" slices. Keep warm. Strain One half cup broth into measuring; freeze
leftover broth for another use. In same saucepan combine lentils and 1/2
cup broth. Stir in parsley and ground pepper. Keep warm. In large skillet
heat 1 inch water to boiling. Add broccoli rabe and blanch 1 minute. Drain
and set aside. Heat same skillet over medium heat until hot. Add oil and
garlic and cook1 minute. Add blanched broccoli rabe and red pepper; sauté
35 minutes or until broccoli is tendercrisp. To serve line edge of large
serving platter with broccoli rabe mixture and spooon lentils into center.
Place sausage over lentils and serve. Country Living January 1998, page
105. Alan Tardi and Karen Bussen, Follonico, NYC.

Recipe by: Alan Tardi and Karen Bussen, Follonico, NYC.

Posted to MCRecipe Digest V1 #970 by Peg Baldassari
Baldassari@compuserve.com on Dec 22, 1997