Bollito Misto

Photo: flickr user stu_spivack

Ingredients

1 small ox tongue about 1.2 1.5kg in weight

1 lrg boiling fowl or capon

2 pre cooked cotechino sausages or zampone di Modena

20 carrots scrubbed

3 celery hearts each divided lengthways into quarters

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

bunch parsley stalks (use the leaves for the accompanying 1 head garlic cut in half

4 carrots scrubbed

4 bay leaves

2 red onions peeled

2 tablespoons black peppercorns

outside celery sticks from the hearts

Preparation

Soak the tongue in cold water preferably for 24 hours but at least 45 hours.

Drain and place in a large saucepan.

Cover with water and add half the stock ingredients.

Simmer for 3 hours skimming off any scum as it comes to the surface until the tongue is soft and a fork or skewer can be easily inserted.

Remove the tongue from the stock and place on a board.

Peel off the skin it should come away easily.

Return the skinned tongue to the saucepan and cook for a further 30 minutes.

After the tongue has been cooking for 2 hours put the boiling fowl in another large saucepan and cover with water.

Add the remaining stock ingredients and very gently simmer for 1.3/42.1/2 hours depending on size.

Cook the sausages according to the instructions on the packet.

Zampone are larger and will take 40 minutes to cook.

Cotechino will be ready in 20 minutes.

Add the carrots and celery hearts to the chicken 20 minutes before serving.

Season with a little salt.

Turn off the heat under the three pans and keep the meats in their various stocks.

Taste the chicken stock and add more salt if necessary.

To serve cut the tongue into 5mm thick slices; the chicken (some white and some brown meat) into similar slices; and the sausages into 8mm slices.

Arrange on a large warm serving plate and pour over some of the strained chicken stock. Arrange the carrot and celery around the meats.

Serve with Salsa Verde mostarda di Cremona and lentils (qv).

Variation:Veal or beef silverside (1.2 1.5 kg) can be cooked in the same way and for the same time as the tongue but you should add 34 plum tomatoes either tinned or fresh and 50g dried porcini to the stock ingredients.

This is the classic dish for New Years Eve in northern Italy. The lentils symbolise wealth the meat health and the mostarda good spirits for the year to come.

Serves 8