Los Canalones de Mamá

This photograph has more years than I want to confess. To be “imprecise” we can say that in that time born the “600″, the TV on Spain and me. Yes, I am that thicket and wonderful baby and the proud and smiling woman was my mother today the main character

First of all, a bit of music. Today I tried “Una voce poco fa” from Rossini’s opera “Il Barbieri de Sevilla” and that wasn’t by chance.

For a lot of people Rossini is “the cannelloni’s man”, but we cannot compare his cannelloni with mom’s. Her cannelloni were the best.

Trying Sonia Ganassi as performer either is by chance. Recently I enjoy listening her voice on Princes Eboli in Don Carlo (Verdi) . She describes herself as a great cook “sono una grande cuccinera“ said.

In one hand Rossini in the other hand Mom’s cannelloni, and let’s go.

Here, in Catalonia, 26th December is also a festive day.

..Christmas with my parents St. Esteve with the mother-in-law... It’s a common phrase.

Tradition says that on St. Esteve day must eat cannelloni. But to eat something , somebody should cook it before making the most of Christmas leftovers..

But, who would be the “victim” to wake up at 6am to cook the necessary cannelloni to feed 24 people?. Exactly the people will be at home on St. Steve day? Obviously me not.

I make the most of Christmas leftovers but not that day. For those situations anybody invented the freezer.

At home I always cook cannelloni making the most of, chicken, lamb or veal roasted. But not all leftovers kind are good for cannelloni, never make the most with sauced meat, obviuosly, or pork (I don’t like its taste in cannelloni)

More or less the ingredients are.

If you have one Kg meat (veal or lamb) add a half chicken (if it is not included in the leftovers) a half Kg mushroom (my mom always used them and I follow the tradition) and around half kg carrots (for the same reason). If I have cook soup I add the leek and the dumb but never the celery. Tastes strong.

Depends on how I feel that day, I add a bit (very bit) of truffle only to add its aroma. It is too expensive and not essential

Today I haven’t enough leftover but my soon today is real pests

I want to eat cannelloni .. I want to eat cannelloni (He is on 23s)

In those situations I bought 1kg and half veal meat grond, two chicken breast and that’s it. Put all ingredients in a pan with a bit of oil and roast them.

Now, we are in that moment.

In this photograph the carrots are missing because carrots is the only thing you can boil, when I took the photo the carrots are in another pan with a lot of friends going to be a carrot cream.

OK, when all ingredients are cooked is the moment to grind it.

You can do that with an expensive Thermomix, with another tool less expensive but also effective or like my mom did with a manual grind machine.

This photograph is from Internet because nobody knows where is my mom’s machine.

The stuffed has to look like this.

If you have difficulties to grind the stuffed, you can add a bit of bechamel (white) sauce. Only a bit!. Only to make this task easier.

If you don’t have bechamel (white) sauce, you can add a bit of milk. Never milk cream or something like this.

Taste the stuffed, add salt if it is necessary or a bit of pepper if you like it, and the truffle (only a pinch).

Now is the moment to roll the cannelloni but to do that we need the paste.

I always employ cannelloni “El pavo”, at many Catalan homes if you employ another paste kind. that is just an “excommunication” reason (tradition obliges) But that doesn’t exclude the innovation.

The box on the left are the long-life cannelloni. To boil this paste you must follow exactly the manufacturer’s recommendations. A lot of boiling water, with a trickle of oil, introducing 10 or 12 pieces at time, one by one. Move them time by time and respect the cooking time no minute more, no minute left. Later retire the paste and put it in a pan with cold water.

The new one, on the left, only need to be 20 minutes in hot water. But, be careful and move it time by time if you don’t wish to see them snagged themselves. In fact, if you need to cook a lot the long-life must be more practices.

And whatever family says, you can use any other cannelloni make.

Extend the cannelloni on the table over a cloth. Like that

Using the “eye-meter”, distribute the stuffed on the past. Like that.

Roll up, but…

You must bear in mind that cannelloni are not a girdle and,

you can roll up it easy, and

the sides must be full.

Like that.

Now you can eat them in this moment or you can keep them for a future.

If you prefer eat them now, don’t look the next photograph, but if you want to keep the , now (specially if you are a man) you will discover one of greatest kitcken secrets:

what’s the upper freezer tray is used for. It is perfect to freeze croquettes or cannelloni.

At any case, in the end the cannelloni will land in an oven plate covered with bechamel (white) sauce. One day I will upload my mom’s bechamel recipe.

That you can see beloww is too much bechamel sauce, but my soon loves it.

If he could that would be something like a bechamel soup with some small pieces of cannelloni floating inside.

A bit of cheese or not (at home I always have problem, in the end I cook to oven plates one with cheese another without) this time have no problem because I forgot to buy it. And now all my family is unhappy