Bollito Misto (Bollito Misto alla Piemontese — Piedmontese Mixed Boiled Meats)

Bollito misto is the grand ceremonial boiled-meat platter of Piedmont, historically served from rolling silver carts (carrelli) in the great restaurants of Turin and Cuneo. A classical bollito can feature up to seven different cuts — beef brisket, veal, cotechino sausage, tongue, calf's head, chicken, and a whole stuffed roll — served at the table and accompanied by a battery of condiments: salsa verde, mostarda di Cremona, and bagnet ross. It is simultaneously one of Italy's most ancient and most convivial dishes.

Serves: 8

Ingredients

• 800g (1.75 lb) beef brisket
• 600g (1.3 lb) veal shoulder, in one piece
• 1 cotechino sausage, about 400g (14 oz), pre-cooked or raw
• 1 free-range chicken, whole
• 1 veal tongue, about 500g (1.1 lb)
• 2 carrots, halved
• 2 stalks celery
• 1 large onion, halved
• 1 leek, halved
• 1 head garlic, halved across
• 2 bay leaves, 4 black peppercorns, 4 cloves
• Salt

Salsa Verde:

• Large bunch flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp (30g) capers, rinsed and chopped
• 2 anchovy fillets, finely minced
• 1 tbsp (15ml) red wine vinegar
• 100ml (scant ½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Instructions

1. Bring a very large pot (10–12 litres / 10–12 quarts) of salted water to a rolling boil. Add the vegetables, aromatics, and salt. Lower the brisket in first — it takes the longest.
2. Return to the boil, reduce to a gentle simmer. After 30 minutes, add the veal shoulder and tongue. After a further 30 minutes, lower in the whole chicken.
3. If using raw cotechino, add it in its own separate small pot of cold water, bring to the boil, and simmer for the time indicated on the packaging (usually 60–90 minutes).
4. Total cooking time: brisket 2.5–3 hours, veal 2 hours, tongue 2 hours, chicken 1 hour. The meat is ready when a skewer meets no resistance. Peel the tongue while still warm.
5. Meanwhile, make the salsa verde by combining all ingredients. Rest at least 30 minutes before serving.
6. Slice all meats on a large wooden carving board. Ladle some hot broth over the slices to keep moist. Serve immediately with salsa verde, Dijon mustard, and cornichons.

Cook's Notes: The broth produced is exceptional — strain and freeze it as the base for risotto or minestrone. A weekend-project for entertaining, this improves by starting the brisket the previous day and reheating gently in the broth.