This is what Italians serve traditionally on New Year’s Day. The coin-shaped lentils symbolize the prosperity that is hoped for over the coming year.
3-4 tablespoons olive oil (not extra virgin), divided
1 onion, finely chopped Sprinkling of salt
2 3/4 cups ( 18 ounces) dried Puy lentils (see note)
1 fat garlic clove, squished and skin removed
8 Tarantino* mild
Italian sausages
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon red wine
1/4 cup water
Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for sprinkling
To cook the lentils, put 2-3 tablespoons of the oil into a good-sized saucepan (with a lid that fits) over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, sprinkle with salt and cook till soft, about 5 minutes. Add the lentils, stir well and cover generously with cold water. Bring to a boil, cover and let simmer gently for half an hour, until cooked and most, if not all, of the liquid is absorbed. Coat a heavy-based frying pan with oil, add the garlic and cook for a few minutes over medium heat. Add and brown the sausages. When they are brown on both sides, about 5 minutes, add the wine and water and let it bubble. Cover the pan and cook for about 15 minutes. Using a fork, mash the garlic into the sauce and taste for seasoning (adding more water if it’s too strong). Remove the lentils to a shallow bowl or dish and cover them with the sausages and the gravy. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings. Note: Puy lentils were originally grown in the volcanic soils of Puy, in France. Now they’re grown in Italy and North America. They’re prized because they remain firm after cooking and have a rich flavor. Recipe from Nigella Bites (Hyperion, 2002). * Brands may vary by region; substitute a similar product.
Bacon-Wrapped Chipolatas Tarantino
25 Tarantino* breakfast sausage links
25 thin slices bacon, or 50 very thin slices of pancetta
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Twist each sausage in the center to form 2 cocktail-size sausages and snip with scissors on the twist to separate them.
Cut each slice of bacon in half vertically. Wrap each half-slice of bacon round each cocktail sausage. The bacon, when thin, seems to get sticky and adheres to the sausage.
Spoon the oil into a roasting pan and arrange the sausages, each with the end bit of bacon facing down (though they may roll), and roast for 30 minutes or so, until the bacon is crisp and the sausages are cooked. Take the pan out of the oven and wrap it in aluminum foil. If you’ve let the sausages burn a little, however, it may be better to remove them to a large piece of aluminum foil and wrap them up, forming a loose but tightly sealed package; otherwise the sausages will continue to fry a little in the pan. When you are almost ready to eat, reheat the sausages by placing the foil-wrapped pan, or parcel, in a hot oven for about 10 minutes. Or cook them from scratch about 45 minutes before you need them. Makes 10-16 servings as part of the Christmas feast, or 8-10 if not. Tip: To make ahead of time, roll the sausages in bacon, as directed, cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Cook in the oven as directed. Recipe from Nigella Christmas (Hyperion, 2009). * Brands may vary by region; substitute a similar product.
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