Canelons, a Saint Stephen's Day Tradition

Tens of thousands of homes throughout Catalunya will be preparing canelons on December 26th—Saint Stephen's Day. While it may seem this tradition has been around for centuries, it's actually a relatively new addition.

Brought to Spain near the end of the 18th century by Italian chefs, cannelloni—or canelons in Catalan—soon became very popular. Canelons are now a staple of the Catalan diet, particularly on Saint Stephen's Day. It is widely believed that the tradition of eating canelons on this day arose from a need to find a way to use the leftovers from Christmas dinner. But, prior to the introduction of canelons, locals customarily prepared casseroled rice for Saint Stephen's Day, using the leftovers from Christmas dinner.

Though a fairly recent addition to the menu, canelons are today an integral part of Saint Stephen's Day celebrations. In some households, the single people in the family are supposed to bear the burden of preparing them, but all they have to do is use leftovers from the night before.

INGREDIENTS:

For the filling:

  • ½ chicken or turkey, preferably white meat
  • 1 chicken or turkey liver
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • 2 medium tomatoes, chopped
  • ½ teaspoon mixed herbs
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon brandy
  • 1 pack of canelon pasta sheets

For the béchamel sauce

  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 1 tablespoon butter, in pieces
  • 1 small carton of cooking cream
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • pinch of grated nutmeg
  • 1 liter of whole milk
  • grated Parmesan cheese

STEPS:

  1. Cut the chicken/turkey and liver into small pieces and season.
  2. Heat oil in a pot and add the meat, vegetables, garlic and herbs, and a pinch of salt. When the vegetables are cooked, add some water to cover everything in the pot and put a lid on it. Cook at medium heat for 35 minutes, adding water as necessary so the contents remain covered. Add the brandy and cook for another 10 minutes, ensuring it doesn’t burn. When the meat is tender, take off the stove and let stand so the mixture cools.
  3. Next, cook the pasta sheets according to the instructions on the packet. Once done, place the pasta on a damp cloth on a baking sheet and leave to cool.
  4. Finely chop the cooked meat and vegetable mixture. Take a pasta sheet and put about one tablespoon of the filling in the middle, then roll the sheet to close—you can use a little water on your finger to seal the edge of the pasta shut. Repeat for all the sheets. Place filled rolls in a baking pan.
  5. To prepare the sauce, heat the butter, a pinch of salt and chopped onion in a pan. Once the onion has browned, add the cream, stirring continuously, and then the flour and nutmeg.
  6. When the sauce has thickened, add the milk gradually while stirring, until there are no lumps. Cover the canelons with the sauce and Parmesan cheese.
  7. Place in the oven and cook au gratin (heat comes only from the top part of the oven) for 10 minutes, or the time needed for the cheese to melt and become golden brown.

Published December 5, 2014, updated December 16, 2023