x BOCCA DI LUPO Luganega Sausage 500g

There are restaurants, and then there are institutions. This month we are proud and delighted to announce an exciting collaboration with the legendary Bocca di Lupo. Led by the rare talent that is Jacob Kenedy, the wonderful team at Bocca di Lupo has created a restaurant which, it is no exaggeration to say, is one of the most revered and celebrated in the whole of London. 

Bocca di Lupo has just celebrated its 15th year on its charming little street in Soho, a feat which is testament to Jacob’s enduring quality, eye for detail and deep understanding for simple and honest regional Italian cuisine. Bocca di Lupo has truly mastered the art of unfussy Italian cooking, with a menu that puts the quality of the ingredients at the forefront of every dish. This, combined with a profound appreciation for the history and techniques of one of the world's most famous cuisines, results in food that feeds your heart and soul.

In 2018 the folks at Swaledale and Bocca di Lupo connected over a mutual passion for top quality meat; they began working together and the relationship has gone from strength to strength ever since. 

Jacob Kenedy extols the virtues of Swaledale, “from fat pheasants and plump partridges to little Dexter sirloins and blackface hoggets, the quality of their meat is outstanding. Their pork, in particular, finds its way onto our menu near constantly – as dry-aged, marbled chops, marinated with honey, rosemary and garlic, as shoulder cooked gently with milk, lemon zest and sage, and as sausages, chubby and inviting.”

This October, as the temperature drops and the nights draw in, the collective artisan might of Bocca di Lupo and Swaledale will come together; two like minded businesses, combining their skills and imagination to bring you a beautifully balanced Luganega sausage.

“The name derives from ‘Lucania’, the ancient name of today’s Basilicata, but the sausage has gradually migrated towards the north. It is now available all over Italy, but more so at higher latitudes, and is celebrated in the Veneto.

Perfect for the season, Swaledale's pork* shoulder and belly is minced, spiced with the warming scents of nutmeg, cinnamon and a little clove, and flavoured with the earthy undertones of dried porcini. The Luganega is coiled into a tight spiral, perfect for grilling or pan frying and serving at the table to be shared.”

It is a sausage with a wonderful depth and an unmistakably autumnal complexion, delicious in so many dishes. Jacob and his team suggest the following:

“At Bocca di Lupo, we tend to serve this with a stew of farro (emmer, similar to spelt) and roasted fresh porcini mushrooms, finished with a little tarragon. If you’d like to do the same, boil some spelt for half an hour or so in just enough salted water to cover, then drain, reserving the liquor. Chop some fresh porcini into little cubes, and sauté till golden with butter and sliced garlic. Add the drained spelt, along with some of its liquor, and cook gently for five to ten minutes until thickened, then stir in chopped fresh tarragon and a little butter.

I might also suggest serving the sausages in a ciabatta as a sandwich (maybe with some mostarda), or with a dollop of polenta, mash or lentils as a simple meal.

Alternatively, it’s delicious with any kind of sautéed mushrooms, with earthy roast vegetables (a fine pumpkin perhaps, or a dark onion), with bitter leaves (Venetian radicchios, dressed with a little oil and balsamic), or indeed, naked and proud, as God intended.

To cook the sausage, heat a barbecue, griddle pan or cast-iron frying pan till medium-hot, then grill or sauté for around 3-4 minutes per side. We like it touching pink in the centre – you may not. Either way, it’s fabulous.”

*Shoulder and belly are our preferred cuts providing just the right fat content for a really succulent Luganega sausage. Our Tamworth and Middle White pigs are reared outside where they can root around, wallow and exhibit all of their instinctive behaviours. They're matured at their own pace which enables the fat to naturally marble the meat, and gives the pork a superior texture. To maximise the naturally occurring flavour, all Swaledale native breed pork is dry-aged on the bone for 3-weeks in our Himalayan salt chamber; this further enhances the rich and distinctive flavour. Bocca di Lupo's Luganega sausage is Always Fresh Never Frozen®, butchered to order, vacuum packed, and shipped in recyclable packaging to arrive safely insulated and ready to enjoy.