Lunch on Christmas day in Catalunya is Escudell i carn d’olla (or soup and meat from the pot). Tradition in my wifes family dictates that every family of the 5 siblings of her parents takes over one festive day, and my parents-in-law have the first Christmas day. So I make soup …
The escudella is a two day affair. You boil pigs ears, snouts, skin, beef short rib …
Chicken carcasses …
Salt bones, beef bones, ham bones …
in a gigantic pot outside the house. Two days. The result equals a great ramen stock - salty, umami, a lot of body: it gels once it cools just a timy bit …
Veggies …
Once the stock is ready, potatoes, cabbage, blood sausage and regular sausages are boiled in it …
After that, the pilota - a giant meatball, heavily spiced with garlic and parsley and star of the show - is gently poached.
Meanwhile the guests arrive and start with pica pica. I prepared everything, but was too busy to take a picture of the prepared table. It is traditionally enjoyed with red vermouth or beer …
Just before service, large pasta shells called galets (“cookies”) stuffed with meat are boiled and the soup is served with them as first course.
Wines …
Everyone happily slurping away …
Second course is a sampler of all the meats, cabbage and potatoes from the pot, served with olive oil and salt.
Third course is almost irrelevant, but consists of chicken poached in its own juices together with sweet wine-macerated dried fruits (plums, raisins) and nuts …
… followed by a fourth course of stewed apples with savory minced meat filling).
The dinner concludes with turrons (assorted sweets probably unchanged since the middle ages), cava (sparkling wine) and brandy. And some whisly for me 🤗
And the kids citing traditional Christmas poems and collecting money from everyone. Little one did well …
Total duration was about 5 hours. Definitely no complaints …
