Cotechino isn’t a standard Italian pizza topping. This Emilian-originated sausage made with pork, lard, pork rind (the identify comes from the Italian “cotica” for pork rind) and spices is normally simmered for a couple of hours and served with lentils on New 12 months’s Eve. (Consuming cotechino con lenticchie is regarded as a very good omen — wealth and good luck — for the yr forward). However we are speaking about sausage, one among pizza’s hottest toppings, so we couldn’t cease questioning a few pizza homage to this Italian New 12 months’s custom. To find out the very best strategy, we turned to 2 of our favourite Italian recipe builders, Vincezo Viscusi and Antonio Malati, who couldn’t resist the problem.
The toppings are easy however do require a little bit of prep. After a little bit of experimentation, Viscusi and Malati reinterpreted the lentils as a unfastened purée for a flavorful base. They opted for fior di latte for a creaminess to enrich this pizza’s wealthy taste. As cotechino tends to run smooth after cooking it for a number of hours, they discovered {that a} sprinkling of tender, unblended lentils and scatterings of roasted potatoes and chopped walnuts added a pleasant contrasting texture. Because the duo notice of their video this isn’t one thing you’ll probably discover at your native pizzeria, but it surely is a wealthy and scrumptious riff on the basic dish.
Notes: Cotechino is an Italian sausage that yow will discover contemporary or pre-cooked however that is probably not out there at your native grocery store. We advocate Italian specialty shops or shopping for it upfront on-line. Should you can’t discover it, you’ll be able to substitute it along with your favourite sausage, finely crumbled and gently par-cooked.
This recipe makes sufficient dough and toppings for 6x pizzas, however you’ll be able to halve portions for a smaller serving, or reserve the dough and toppings for a later date. The toppings will preserve for as much as 3 days in a sealed container within the fridge.
Prep Time
This dough solely takes 5 minutes however requires 12 to 24 hours to rise. The toppings come collectively in a half-hour.
Yield
Makes six 12” pizzas
Gear
Ooni Dual Platform Digital Scale
Ooni Pizza Dough Scraper
Ooni Pizza Oven
Ooni Infrared Thermometer
Ooni Pizza Cutter Wheel or Pizza Cutter Rocker Blade
Components
For the dough
1 kilogram (35.2 ounces) of flour 0 or 00 (W260-300),
650 grams room temperature water (30 ounces)
20 grams (3 ½ teaspoons) salt
3.5 grams (1 teaspoon) contemporary yeast
For the topping
200 to 300 grams (7 to 10.5 ounces) cotechino sausage
500 grams (17.6 ounces) Russet potatoes
4 tablespoons (52 grams) extra-virgin olive oil, plus further for drizzling
Flaked sea salt
Cracked black pepper
1 to 2 sprigs of rosemary
500 grams (17.6 ounces) brown lentils
3 garlic cloves, crushed
¾ cup (175 ml) water to loosen the lentils
500 grams (17.6 ounces) fior di latte or mozzarella
100 grams (3.5 ounces) walnuts, roughly chopped
Methodology
Put the flour in a bowl, add the salt and provides it a light-weight stir. Crumble the yeast and blend it into the flour, then add the water.
Combine with a spoon. As soon as the water is absorbed, cowl the dough and let it relaxation within the fridge for a minimum of 15 (and as much as 40) minutes.
Take away the dough from the fridge and knead for two minutes till it feels elastic. As soon as easy, cowl, relaxation it for 1 hour at room temperature, then cowl it and put it within the fridge for a minimum of 12 (and as much as 24) hours.
Six hours earlier than you propose to make pizza, take away the dough from the fridge and portion it into 6 250g balls. Switch to a proofing tub or particular person containers, cowl and let rise.
To organize the toppings, you’ll have to simmer the cotechino, roast the potatoes, and prepare dinner the lentils. For the sausage, add the cotechino to a saucepan full of water and convey to a boil. If the cotechino is pre-cooked, simmer for half-hour. If contemporary, poke holes within the casing and simmer in accordance with cotechino dimension (1-2 hours for 200 – 400 gram sausage, 2-3 hours for 400-700 gram sausage)
Take away the sausage and (rigorously in order to not burn your self) take away the pores and skin whereas nonetheless scorching. Minimize into ½” small cubes, then put aside. Preheat your standard oven to 200°C (392°F). Wash and peel the potatoes, then reduce into1-inch chunks. Place on a baking sheet and toss with 2 tablespoons of olive oil, a crack of salt and pepper, and some rosemary sprigs. Roast for half-hour, or till crisp and tender.
Whereas the potatoes prepare dinner, boil the lentils. In a medium saucepan, mix the lentils and three cups (700 ml) of water and convey to a boil. Cowl, scale back the warmth, and simmer, sometimes stirring , for 20 minutes (or till tender). Drain and calmly sautée the lentils with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and crushed garlic.. After 10 minutes, take away from the warmth and switch half the lentils to a meals processor or blender. Add a tablespoon of olive oil and the water and mix till a easy purée the feel of a thick cream kinds (for a looser base, add 1 tablespoon of further water at a time). Season each the purée and complete lentils with salt and pepper to style.
Set all elements apart till you’re able to make pizza however make sure they’re at room temperature earlier than baking.
Fireplace up your Ooni Pizza Oven. Purpose for 420°C (788°F). Use the infrared thermometer to precisely examine the temperature inside.
Place a dough ball on a calmly floured work floor and stretch it out from the middle to the sting to type the crust. Use your fingers and knuckles to softly stretch the dough to 12 inches or your required dimension. Switch the stretched dough to a calmly dusted peel whereas pulling gently on the edges to stretch it out additional.
As soon as the pizza has been stretched, unfold a light-weight, even layer of the puréed lentils on the floor of the dough out to the sting. Sprinkle as much as 3 tablespoons of cooked lentils evenly over the bottom. High with the cubed cotechino and fior di latte, then end with a drizzle of olive oil.
Slide the pizza off the peel and prepare dinner 1 to 2 minutes, turning the pizza each 20 seconds to make sure a fair bake.
High the cooked pizza with chopped potatoes and walnuts. Slice and serve instantly.
