Andorra is located in the continent of Europe. It has France to the north, Switzerland and Italy to the northeast, the Mediterranean Sea to the east and south, Spain to the southwest, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, and northwest.
The capital is Andorra la Vella.
The official language is Catalan.
The climate is average, temperate with rainfall and sunshine (https://www.climatestotravel.com/climate/andorra).
The staple foods are white beans, ham, veal, beef, chicken, pork sausage, potatoes, rice, noodles, chickpeas, mushrooms, cabbage and so much more (https://travelfoodatlas.com/andorran-food).
https://www.britannica.com/place/Andorra
ANDORRAN ESCUDELLA (https://www.food.com/recipe/andorran-escudella-466175):
- 2 C dry white beans (I used a 16oz. package of the small white ones)
- 1 ham bone
- 1 marrow, bone
- 3 chicken thighs (the recipe called for ¼ of a chicken, but boneless-skinless is so much easier)
- 14oz. raw pork sausage, rolled into balls
- 1 thick ham steak, cut into chunks
- ½ head green cabbage
- 1 large white potato, cut into large chunks
- ¼ C uncooked rice
- 1 C pasta shells
- 1 C canned garbanzo beans
- Salt and pepper
- Roll the raw sausage into one- or two bite-sized balls.
- Rinse the dry beans in cold water.
- Meanwhile, cook the sausage balls over medium heat.
- Dice the ham.
- Put the beans, sausage, ham, chicken and bones into the pot with 8 cups of water.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer, covered for two hours.
- The chicken should be very tender, almost falling apart.
- Remove the bones and bring the remaining stock and meat back up to a boil (if there isn’t a lot of liquid you can add more water).
- Add the cabbage, potato, rice, pasta shells, garbanzo beans and salt and pepper.
- Cook for another 30 minutes, or until the potatoes and rice are tender.
Here is how my dish turned out. I did make several substitutes: For the beans I used Garbanzo beans; for the potato I used a chayote; for the rice I used riced cauliflower, and for the noodles I used Shirataki Noodles. I am trying to stay low carb, and though this dish is not all low carb, the substitutes added to this amazing flavorful dish!!
XUIXOS (https://www.shbarcelona.com/blog/en/traditional-catalan-recipes-xuixos/):
Cream for the Xuixos:
- 65g sugar
- 185g milk
- 65g liquid cream
- 1 vanilla stick
- 1 small slice of lemon peel (without the white part)
- Small slice of orange peel (without the white part)
- 20g cornstarch
- 2 egg yolks
- 30g butter
- Start by preparing the cream, so that is has time to cool down until the rest is ready.
- Place milk, cream, 35g sugar, a vanilla stick cut lengthwise, the orange skin and the lemon skin in a pan.
- Cook in a low fire allowing it to boil.
- When the milk starts to boil, turn off the fire.
- Let the milk emulsify for 5 minutes, then strain it, removing the fruit peels and the vanilla.
- Mix the egg yolks with 30g sugar, until they turn whiter and increase in volume.
- Add the cornstarch and mix it until it is fully dissolved.
- Place the milk on the fire again.
- When it starts to boil, add the egg yolks and mix while stirring, until the mix becomes a little thicker.
- Cut the butter in small pieces and add it to the mix, stirring until it comes undone.
- Cover the mix with saran wrap and save it for when the Xuixo is ready to be filled.
Dough for the Xuixos:
- 90ml milk
- 250g bread flour
- Dash of salt
- 10g baker’s yeast
- 45g sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 15g butter, room temperature
- Frying oil
- Sugar
- Cinnamon
- Sieve the flour, salt, and sugar.
- Place them in a bowl.
- Warm a little bit of milk in the microwave, then pour the yeast in the milk and mix it until it comes undone.
- Pick up the bowl with the sieved ingredients.
- Make a hole in the middle and start pouring a beaten egg.
- Mix it all very slowly using a wooden spoon and add the milk, and the vanilla little by little.
- Add the butter, which should be at room temperature, mixing it all with your hands until it becomes even.
- Cover the bowl with a piece of cloth and let it rest, until it doubles in size. This can take from 1 to 2 hours.
- When the dough is ready, place it on top of a surface that you have previously covered with flour.
- Flatten it with a rolling pin, until the dough is thin.
- Cut the dough into tall triangles.
- Now you are ready to use the cream.
- Place some cream in each triangle and then roll the dough like you would in a croissant.
- Cover an oven tray with oven paper (parchment).
- Place the Xuixos on the tray and cover them with cloth, letting them rest from 30 minutes to an hour.
- When enough time has gone, fry the Xuixos.
- Turn them frequently to avoid them being burned.
- The fire cannot be too high, because the Xuixos need to cook a little bit on the inside.
- The Xuixos should look golden, not burnt on the outside.
- Place them on kitchen paper and let it absorb the extra oil.
- Next, roll the Xuixos in sugar and cinnamon, and they are ready to be eaten!!
The cream inside these after frying adds such a great dessert flavor!!!
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