Andorran Cuisine

Andorran Cuisine

I apologize for the delay in posting. This post was meant to appear weeks ago! Apparently, I had been gone for so long that Google thought my attempt to sign in was obviously a mistake. So I was locked out for some time. But I'm here now! And we're going to talk about Andorran Cuisine.

Andorra is a tiny country nestled between France and Spain. There are hints of both of these country's flavors and traditions in Andorra, yet it still manages to stand strongly on it's own. Andorran dishes are packed with flavor, rich and filling.

First, we'll talk about meat. The meat that is used here is from local producers and marked with a special seal specifying "Meat of Controlled Quality from Andorra." This includes ox, beef, veal, lamb, goat and horse meat.
(Source: http://all-andorra.com)

Andorra is known for its wine. The high altitude gives Andorran wine a unique and specific taste. Casa Auvinyà is a winery in Sant Julià de Lòria, in the south of the Principality of Andorra. It is in the village of Auvinyà at an altitude of 1.200 m. Its vines are grown on the steep slopes looking east. This vineyard is known for it's Black Wine, made from Pinot Noir sorts and Syrah varieties (a wine sort, used for preparation of red and rose wines)

(Additional Source: www.casaauvinya.com)

In autumn, there are numerous food festivals. One is the Festival of the Noble Mushroom (Fira de bolet). And on the eve of Halloween, special confectionery goods panellets are being cooked. The dough is made from sweet potato and served with dried fruits and nuts. This is served with white sweet muscato.

(Source: http://all-andorra.com)

There were so many dishes to choose from. I decided to make Escudella, a traditional Andorran dish. It is served at many winter festivals, during hunting seasons and on national holidays. There are many variations. The recipe I made can be found at:

 http://www.geniuskitchen.com/recipe/andorran-escudella-466175

ESCUDELLA (serves 8)- GENEROUSLY!

Ingredients: 2 cups dry white beans (I used a 16 oz package of the small white ones)
1 ham bone
1 marrow, bone
3 chicken thighs (the recipe called for 1/4 of a chicken, but boneless-skinless is so much easier)
14 ounces raw pork sausage, rolled into balls
1 thick ham steak, cut into chunks
1⁄2 head green cabbage
1 large white potato, cut into large chunks
1⁄4 cup uncooked rice
1 cup pasta shells
1 cup canned garbanzo beans
salt and pepper

Directions:
Roll the raw sausage into one- or two-bite sized balls.
Rinse the dry beans in cold water.
Meanwhile, cook the sausage balls over medium heat.
Dice the ham.
Put the beans, sausage, ham, chicken and bones into the pot with 8 cups of water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, covered for two hours. The chicken should be very tender, almost falling apart.
Remove the bones and bring the remaining stock and meat back up to a boil (if there isn't a lot of liquid you can add more water).
Add the cabbage, potato, rice, pasta shells, garbanzo beans and salt and pepper.
Cook for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and rice are tender.

 And that is the final product. It was a very filling dish. It took several hours to make. I could not believe how many different forms of starches and different varieties of meat there were in this one dish. It was certainly tasty. My husband gave it a thumbs up. I confess this will not be added to our regular menu as I simply don't have time to make it on a regular basis! It certainly demanded some attention. I can see why this would be served on holidays and for special occasions.

See you soon when we visit Angola!