Facing the challenge of staying for several days at home, at Hotel Arc La Rambla we propose you to take this opportunity and develop your skills as a chef.
A good way to get to know a city like Barcelona is through its gastronomy, that’s why at Hotel Arc La Rambla we propose 4 recipes of traditional Catalan cuisine for you to make at home. Are you ready?
1. Spinach Catalan style
One of the main starters is undoubtedly the Catalan-style spinach. Besides being a simple dish to make, it is one of the most typical health food recipes in Catalonia.
You only need to combine the fresh leaves of the spinach steamed for 20 minutes with nuts and raisins. If you want to give it a personal touch, at Hotel Arc La Rambla we recommend you to steam the spinach with 2 spoonfuls of oil and 2 cloves of chopped garlic.
The quick preparation time means that it can be taken to the table and surprise diners with a delicious traditional dish that mixes sweet and salty flavours.
2. Veal fricande with mushrooms
This meat recipe is another of the most typical dishes of the region. It consists of a beef stew cooked with moixernons or perretxico, preferably, although there are chefs who cook it with other mushrooms.
The first step is to roll the veal fillets in flour, fry them lightly and soak the dehydrated mushrooms for 20 minutes. In the same pan as the meat, add the sofrito with onion and garlic. When the sauce is golden brown, add pepper, cognac, the concentrated stock cube and water until the meat is covered. Stir from time to time and leave it cooking for about 45 minutes and you’ll have it.
Like any good stew, at Hotel Arc La Rambla we recommend you to eat it the day after its preparation, as both the meat and the rest of the ingredients will have enhanced its flavour.
3. Bacalao a la llauna
Bacalao a la llauna (codfish in a sauce) is a traditional fish recipe that is very easy to make. For its preparation apart from the cod we need 3-4 cloves of garlic, paprika, white wine, parsley, olive oil and wheat flour.
For this recipe it is essential that we desalinate the cod by submerging it in water for a couple of days. Once we have desalted the loins, we flour them to fry them. In a frying pan with some of the oil from frying the cod, we will also fry the garlic, adding the paprika. Pour in the white wine until the alcohol evaporates. Finally, add the fresh parsley and put the cod in the oven.
4. Crema catalana
At Hotel Arc La Rambla we wanted to save the traditional Catalan pastries for last. Crema catalana is a typical dessert made with eggs, milk, flour, sugar, orange, lemon, cornstarch and cinnamon.
To prepare it, inside a saucepan over a low heat we put the milk and add the ingredients: a stick of cinnamon, orange peel and lemon peel. When it starts boiling, remove the pan from the heat and, in a separate bowl, start mixing the egg with the sugar and cornstarch.
Then, using a strainer, pour the milk into the bowl with the rest of the ingredients and put it back on a low heat. After a few minutes we will see how it starts to become dense. When it has cooled down completely, spread the cream in the containers where you want to serve it and just before taking it to the table add the sugar on top. To caramelize it you need the help of a blowtorch.
These are some of the recipes of traditional Catalan cuisine that we like the most at Hotel Arc La Rambla Take advantage of these days at home and perfect your skills as a chef!