Traditional Christmas flavours

Christmas Eve dinner. In Catalonia, Christmas Eve dinner is traditionally very simple and modest. Chicken or fish broth is the perfect prelude to the cold tapas served next. ‘Tis the season to sample​​​​​​ Osona cured meats, mountain cheeses and La Llacuna pâté, anchovies and cooked seafood. Accompanied by large slices of oven-toasted country bread, quince aioli and local olives, there is no simpler dinner to prepare. Or more appetising.  

Christmas lunch. Baby Jesus has been born, and it is time to celebrate! For the first course, escudella de galets (Catalan soup) and meatballs. Then, a platter with stewed meat, vegetables and well-cooked chickpeas. In many homes, the celebration continues with a good Penedès rooster or a Pota Blava capon from Prat de Llobregat stuffed Catalan style with butifarra sausage, bacon, prunes and pine nuts. For dessert, handmade wafers and nougat from the Maresme region. All washed down with wines and cavas from any of the nearby designations of origin: Penedès, Pla de Bages, Alella, Catalunya, Cava, Corpinnat and Classic Penedès. These are essential to fully enjoy the traditional specialties that await us on the table on Christmas Day! 

Saint Stephen’s Day lunch. The main course of this truly Catalan celebration brings to the fore a principle that chefs around the world know very well: The best dishes are concocted from the leftovers of previous meals. The delicious cannelloni are made with leftover meat from the escudella soup and served in every home on Saint Stephen’s Day. Many cooks add truffles from the Berguedà region to the filling, which turns the cannelloni into the starring meal and is traditionally followed by a tasty baked fish dish.