Recipe: Fricandó

Although the peak of the Catalan mushroom (bolet) season is now officially over, it is still possible to make delicious dishes using dried mushrooms—the mushrooms suggested for this recipe are cama-secs (Scotch bonnet) and moixerons (St George’s mushroom). Fricandó a l’àvia (Granny’s fricandó) is a Catalan favourite that is often made using such dried mushrooms and is a warm and savoury option for those occasional cold and crisp spring days. When buying your meat at the butcher’s, ask for steaks from the tapa or tapa plana cut—this is the part from where they cut the thinnest steaks, such as those used for escalopes.

INGREDIENTS (for four people)

- 4 x 200g steaks

- 20g flour

- 250ml oil

- 200g chopped onions

- 30ml brandy

- 150ml white wine (one glass)

- 1 teaspoon sweet red pepper

- 80g mushrooms; preferably cama-secs or moixernons

- Salt and pepper

For the picada:

1 carquinyoli biscuit, 50g toasted almonds, 3 garlic cloves

If you are using dried mushrooms, put them to soak at least one hour before starting to cook and put them to soak. Season the steaks with salt and pepper, dip them in the flour and fry them in very hot oil. Fry them quickly, just enough so that the flour turns a golden colour (if left in too long, they will dry out). In a casserole dish with oil, and over a low heat, gently fry the onion for 20 minutes, until it is caramelised. Add the meat and flambé it with the brandy, then add the sweet red pepper. Stir everything well and pour in the white wine. Let the wine reduce for a few minutes, then add enough water to cover everything in the dish, and add the mushrooms (you can use the water from soaking the mushrooms). Simmer over a low heat until the meat is cooked (about one hour). In the meantime, prepare the picada—take a pestle and mortar and crush the biscuit, almonds and garlic cloves, diluting the mix with a bit of the meat broth. Five minutes before taking the casserole off the heat, add the picada, let it mix well and then the dish will be ready.