Spain·Catalonia
Escudella i carn d'olla
Catalan meat and vegetable stew with broth and large meatball
The great Catalan boiled dinner served in two courses: first the broth with galets or rice, then the meat, pilota and vegetables.
- Preparation
- 30 min
- Cooking
- 3 h
- Total time
- 3 h 30 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Servings
- 6
Resting: 0 min
Ingredients
Tap an ingredient to tick it off.
For the broth and the carn d'olla
For the pilota (large meatball)
For the escudella
Preparation
Tips
- Always start with cold water and skim patiently: the broth will be clean and clear.
- Cook the pasta in the strained broth, not in the stew; it cooks better and the broth stays clear.
- Keep any leftover carn d'olla: it is the base for other dishes, such as croquettes or a terrine.
- For a lighter escudella, serve only the broth with galets and keep the meat for the second course.
Variations
- Escudella de Nadal (Christmas): with meat from four different animals and galets, richer and more festive.
- Escudella barrejada or de pagès: broth and meat served together in a single dish.
- With rice instead of galets, also a common version.
Story of the recipe
Escudella i carn d'olla: where it comes from.
Escudella is a fundamental dish of Catalan cooking, also made in the Valencian Community. Medieval authors such as Francesc Eiximenis already mention it in the 14th century, and until the mid-20th century it was an everyday dish in country households. Over the years, since it takes several hours to cook, it fell out of daily use and was reserved mainly for Christmas.
It is a complete, economical dish served in two courses: the broth with pasta or rice, and then the meat and vegetables on a platter. Its most characteristic element is the pilota, a very large meatball flavoured with garlic and parsley. The historian Jaume Fàbrega has pointed to it as a dish that unites the Catalan-speaking lands.
Sources
By RecetarioMundo.