Vegan Cotechino Sausage

My first vegan cheese sausage.

Traditionally cotechino is an Italian charcuterie product, similar to salami.  Its name comes from cotica (rind), but it may take different names in certain regions. According to tradition, it is served with lentils on New Year’s Eve, because lentils—due to their shape—are ‘credited’ to bring money for the coming year.

Basic Sausage Recipe
1 ¼ cup vital wheat gluten
¼ cup nutritional yeast
½ cup white beans (navy, cannellini) mashed or blended
2 oz white wine
1 cup of vegetable stock
2 tbsp olive oil

Cotechino Seasoning
1/2 cup grated vegan romano cheese
1 tbsp garlic powder
1 teaspoon salt
1-tbsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2-tsp nutmeg
1-tsp cinnamon
1-tsp cayenne
1/4 tsp ground clove

Mix together the wet and dry ingredients separately. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix together with your hands. The dough will come together quickly into a sticky ball. The dough should be wet but not stick to the bowl. Knead to ensure that the gluten is well developed.

Form a single ball and cut into 6 equal pieces. Tear 6 pieces of tin foil about 8 inches long. Using your hands form each piece into a sausage shape about 1 ¼ inches wide by 5 inches long. Place the roughly formed sausage on the tin foil near a corner and roll it tightly folding in the sides as you roll to form a closed cylinder.

Place the wrapped sausages in a boiling steamer. Steam for 40 minutes at a medium heat. Once done, unwrap and seal in small freezer bags to retain freshness. These freeze very well.

Smoking Sausages
Smoke this sausage lightly for 40 minutes at 190F.