Bollito misto (Italian mixed boiled meats)

delicious. tips

1. Chris says: “The beef cuts here are up to you – use what you can get hold of. I used short rib, ox cheek and tongue but beef shin works well too. Cotechino – a large, rustic, lightly spiced Italian sausage – is usually available in Italian delis and speciality shops around Christmas but can be found online, as can mostarda di frutta – fruits candied in a mustard syrup.”

   Try these three sauces with your bollito misto:
   Salsa verde
   Finely chop 2 tbsp flatleaf parsley leaves, 1 tbsp mint leaves and 1 tbsp tarragon leaves, then mix with a dash of extra-virgin olive oil. Add 3 finely chopped anchovy fillets, 1 tbsp dijon mustard and 1 tbsp sherry vinegar, season with salt and pepper, then stir in enough olive oil to make a loose, spoonable sauce.

   Salsa rossa
   Char 1 red pepper over a gas hob or flame until completely blackened all over, then transfer to a bowl and cover. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, put 75g cherry tomatoes, 1 small garlic clove, 10g drained capers and 75g extra-virgin olive oil in a blender. Peel the charred skin from the pepper and remove the stalk and seeds (discard all of these), then add the pepper flesh to the blender. Whizz together to a smooth sauce, then season to taste with salt.

    

   Horseradish cream
   Spoon 100g crème fraîche into a bowl, then add 1-2 tbsp freshly grated horseradish. Stir in 1 tbsp lemon juice, then season to taste with salt.

2. Complete to the end of step 3 a day in advance – that way you have plenty of time to make tortellini too, if you like (meaning no stress and very little effort on the day you plan to serve for either dish). If you’re not making the tortellini, skip the cooling of the stock and go right ahead with adding the chicken.

3. Some cotechino comes pre-cooked, so always check the pack instructions. If yours is pre-cooked, skip the first simmer in step 1 and add it in with the meat in step 4.