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Meat, Italy

Cotechino with mashed potatoes

Cotechino with mashed potatoes is an Italian winter dish for 4, ready in 75 minutes, easy to make, for about €3.10 per person. Success depends on poaching the cotechino gently, never at a hard boil, and mashing the potatoes by hand to keep them light and smooth.

Tonight we celebrate winter like they do in Modena, with a poached cotechino sliced thick, served over buttery mashed potatoes.

Cotechino with mashed potatoes
Total time
1 h 15
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€3.10
Calories per person
660 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Winter, Fall

Cotechino is a thick pork sausage, poached whole, that you slice into fat, tender rounds. It's rich and well seasoned, bold enough to stand up to a generous pile of buttery mashed potatoes that smooth everything out. A spoonful of mustard adds the sharp edge that balances the dish.

This is a cold weather dinner, the kind you'd make on a Sunday with family or on a night when you want a taste of northern Italy without leaving your kitchen. Mon Chou walks you through poaching the cotechino so it stays whole and getting the mash perfectly smooth.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Precooked cotechino sausage 1

Fruits and vegetables

  • Potatoes for mashing 1.2 kg

Dairy

  • Milk 20 cl
  • Butter 60 g

Pantry

  • Mustardoften in the pantry 2 tbsp
  • Bay leafoften in the pantry 1
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Nutmegoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Lactose, Mustard

The step by step recipe

  1. Prick the cotechino in several spots, place it in a large pot of cold water with the bay leaf, and bring to a gentle simmer, never a boil. 50 min

    A precooked cotechino just needs reheating, 45 minutes at a gentle simmer is enough, otherwise it will split.

  2. Peel the potatoes, cut them into large chunks, and cook them in cold salted water. 25 min

    Test them with the tip of a knife, it should slide in without resistance.

  3. Heat the milk with the butter, drain the potatoes, and mash them with a potato masher, pouring in the hot milk little by little.

    Always use a potato masher, never a blender, or the mash turns gluey like glue.

  4. Season the mash with salt, pepper, and nutmeg, and keep it warm, covered.

    Adjust the salt at the end, the cotechino is already well seasoned.

  5. Take out the cotechino, let it rest for 5 minutes, then slice it into thick rounds about 1.5 cm wide and serve over the mash with the mustard. 5 min

    Slice with a thin blade and don't press down, the very tender meat tears easily.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick a starchy potato variety, like Yukon Gold or Russet, they mash without turning gluey.
  • Since the cotechino is precooked, keep the water at a gentle simmer, a hard boil will split the skin and melt away the fat.
  • Warm the milk before stirring it into the mash, it stays smoother and hotter when you serve it.

The variations

  • Swap the cotechino for a Toulouse style sausage or a smoked sausage for a quicker cooking time.
  • For a vegetarian version, serve the mash with braised lentils instead of the cotechino.
  • For kids, blend a little cooked carrot into the mash and cut the cotechino into small cubes.

What to serve it with

  • Braised green lentils
  • A glass of light red wine
  • Buttered braised cabbage

Storage

The cotechino keeps for 2 days in the fridge in a sealed container, and so does the mash. The cotechino freezes well once cooked and cooled, but the mash doesn't freeze as nicely. Reheat both gently, on the stove or in the oven, adding a splash of milk to the mash if it has thickened.

Questions about this dish

Do you need to prick the cotechino before cooking it?

Yes, it's best to prick it first. The skin expands with heat and can split if the steam has nowhere to go, which makes the sausage lose fat and fall apart.

Can you make the mashed potatoes ahead of time?

Yes, you can make them a few hours ahead and keep them covered over very low heat or in a bain marie. Stir in a little warm milk before serving if they've thickened.

What kind of mustard goes best with cotechino?

A classic strong mustard works well, it cuts through the richness of the sausage. A grainy whole mustard, milder and less sharp, is also a good choice if you prefer less heat.

Can you use a different sausage instead of cotechino?

Yes, a Toulouse sausage or a smoked sausage works well if you can't find cotechino. The flavor will be less distinctive, but the dish still works with a good buttery mash.

How long does it take to make a cotechino with mashed potatoes?

Count 1 h 15 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a cotechino with mashed potatoes?

About 660 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a cotechino with mashed potatoes cost?

About €3.10 per serving, or €12.40 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains lactose, mustard. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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