CONGER EEL ESCUDELLA (SOUP) FOR LENT

The escudella is a traditional dish for all social classes, be they those with simple tastes or those in search of a more exquisite fair, as it can be made from a variety of ingredients. These are often basic products that are not exclusive to Andorra, except the words we use to describe them. Carrota is the common term for the country carrot, and trumfa is our word for the potato.

According to tradition, the origin of this dish goes back to the middle of the last century, when during carnival and in the spring, the Galicians and Basques came to the Pyrenees to sell preserved fish such as dried conger eel and salted cod.

Needless to say, the meaning of the word escudella is not limited to broth recipes with pasta or rice, vegetables and other ingredients like those we just described, but is also the name of the cup or soup dish in which they dishes are traditionally served.

RECIPE

Preparation for 4 people:
The day before your prepare the escudella, put 10 litres of water in a pot and let the conger eel soak in them, add 1 raw chopped onion and 5 tablespoons of virgin olive oil.

After 24 hours, cook for 2 hours, remove the conger eel and set it aside.

Add 4 garlic cloves and half a chopped onion, diced potatoes and rice in a saucepan and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the cooked white beans and chopped hazelnuts, almonds, fried bread, parsley, 2 roasted garlic cloves and sprigs of saffron.

Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 15 minutes.

Separately, roast the red peppers and peel them.

Prepare the vinaigrette by mixing the oil, vinegar, salt and black pepper in a bowl, and add chopped raw garlic and diced roast peppers.

To finish, take slices of conger eel, after first removing the largest bones and place them on a plate, where you season them with vinaigrette. Serve and enjoy.

Ingredients for preparing conger eel escudella for Lent:

-1 piece of dry conger eel
-1 kg of potatoes
-500 g of dry white beans
-250 g of rice
-150 g of onion
-1 clove of garlic
-1 handful of parsley
-50 g of toasted almonds
-50 g of toasted hazelnuts
-2 slices of bread
-saffron powder
-Virgin olive oil
-Salt
-Black pepper

For the vinaigrette:

-250 ml of virgin olive oil
-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
-3 cloves of garlic
-2 red peppers
-Sal
-Black pepper

Escudella is a dish that is ever present at Andorran tables in wintertime. It is a soup designed for recovery and bringing back your strength.