GironaOn the net you can find easy recipes to prepare escudella and carne d’olla in a supposedly record time of five hours. It is probably the slowest and most laborious traditional Catalan dish. That is why the presentation at the Barcelona Gastronomic Forum of a product that offers a pre-cooked version of this nostra dish that is prepared in just 3 minutes, the time it has to turn in the microwave in the plastic container where they have concentrated “all the tastes of the escudella”, according to Francesc Baltrons, chef and head of R&D at Jotri, the Girona company that has accepted the challenge of the escudella and instant carne d’olla. Technological innovation or sacrilege?
Baltrons explains that its product can “surprise the most demanding palate”. Apart from the escudella and the traditional biscuits, the rest of the flavors of this dish are achieved with three types of small balls that can be found inside the container: the classic beef and pork, a second one that incorporates chicken and bacon, and a third made up of cabbage and potato. Small slices of black sausage and carrot can also be tasted inside the dish. The chickpeas complete this contemporary adaptation, or “reinvention”, as Baltrons says, of the escudella of all life.
Three minutes rotating in the microwave and stirring
The product will soon go on sale in Ametller Origen supermarkets under the Degusta brand, by Cuinats Jotri. The company emphasizes that this culinary innovation has 100% natural ingredients and does not contain preservatives. After adding water to the single-serve plastic bowl, simply heat it in the microwave for three minutes and stir.
The presentation and tasting of the new product took place at the Gastronomic Forum in Barcelona, in an edition in which one of the thematic axes is Catalan cuisine. The person in charge of presenting the escudella and carn d’olla with balls, Francesc Baltrons, explained that “this new format of escudella and carn d’olla brings the tradition of Catalan cuisine in a practical version”. brand is very important “being able to enjoy the escudella in everyday life without having to spend many hours in the kitchen”.
Traditional dishes, pre-cooked
Cuinats Jotri is a family company of cooked dishes founded in 1982 in Girona. The company has a presence in Girona, Barcelona and Tarragona with its fresh cooked dishes and ultra-frozen products. Among its pre-cooked dishes are cannelloni, snails and other dishes from Catalan cuisine, such as beef with mushrooms, trinxat de la Cerdanya or broad beans with peas Catalan style. The idea that drives these pre-cooked recipes is that the consumer is not willing to spend hours in the kitchen to prepare them, but also does not want to give up the flavors of certain traditional dishes.
With its Degusta brand, the company is committed to producing more accessible products for the final consumer, but with the highest quality, with natural and local products. Degusta currently also includes a preparation for mixed paella, chicken croquettes and pork feet with sauce, among other recipes.
Source: www.ara.cat
