Indubitably of Italian origin, this way of making pasta came into our cuisine due to the great popularity it had acquired in Catalan cuisine since the 19th century. Popularity that since the beginning of the 20th century had a lot to do with the marketing of “El Pavo” cannelloni plates, from the Barcelona pasta company Ramon Fló.
Given the work involved in making them, cannelloni have been considered a festive dish, linked to the Christmas period, particularly the Sant Esteve festivities (our Boxing Day). This associated them to kitchen leftovers – traditionally made from the Christmas leftovers.
They are currently eaten all year round, and in the restaurant sector there are establishments known for their exquisite preparation.
Enjoy our homemade recipe!
RECIPE
Preparation for 4 people:
Preparing the Stew:
Fry the lean pork, chicken breast and chopped liver with lard.
Add onion and carrot, fry everything together with some flour to bind it.
Finally, add some wine and broth and cook over low heat for 2 hours.
Making the béchamel sauce:
Melt butter into a pan, add flour (and onion, if desired) and stir until a roux is obtained.
Let it cook for 3 minutes and add boiling milk, slowly, while stirring.
Cook the béchamel sauce for 5 minutes, add nutmeg and strain.
Preparing the cannelloni:
If you use cabbage, start by boiling the water with a pinch of salt and, when it starts to boil, scald the leaves, having first removed the hard cabbage stem. Once scalded, let them rest on a cloth to cool and dry.
Separately, put in a frying pan with oil, fry a chopped onion and minced meat over low heat.
Once it has been sautéed, add the brain (previously purged of blood by soaking) with a little nutmeg and stir 3 or 4 times and add a little milk.
Remove the pan from the heat and add a little flour so that it absorbs the excess oil from the meat and binds the pasta well.
Then stuff the cabbage leaves (or pasta) with meat and roll them into cannelloni.
Place all the cannelloni on a plate and cover with the béchamel sauce you have prepared before and the grated cheese.
Finally, put the plate in the oven with grated cheese. You’re all set!
Ingredients for preparing Andorran cannelloni:
For the cannelloni:
-200 g of lean pork
-300 g chicken breast
-1 chicken or pork liver
-1 lamb brain
-2 onions
-1 carrot
-1 cabbage or 12 sheets of cannelloni pasta
-100 g of grated cheese
-Some flour
-Some wine
-Some broth
-Lard
For the béchamel sauce:
-1 l of milk
-80 g of flour
-80 g butter
-Salt
-Nutmeg
-A small chopped onion (optional)
