The great traditional dish of Catalan cuisine

Escudella amb carn d’olla is one of the most emblematic dishes of Catalan gastronomy. It is a hearty and comforting dish deeply rooted in traditional Catalan family cooking.

The preparation begins with a large pot in which meat, bones and vegetables are slowly cooked to create a rich and aromatic broth.

Once the broth is ready, it is traditionally served as escudella, accompanied by galets, while the cooked meats, vegetables and the famous pilota are served separately as the carn d’olla.

For generations, escudella was a practical dish based on making the most of the ingredients available in each household.

A single large pot could provide a complete and nourishing meal for the whole family.

Over time, this everyday dish also became one of the great festive preparations of Catalonia, particularly at Christmas, when it is known as Escudella de Nadal.

One of its most characteristic elements is the pilota, a large traditional meatball made with minced beef and pork, egg, breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley.

The pilota is cooked directly in the broth, absorbing its flavours while adding richness to the dish.

The result is a generous and comforting recipe that perfectly represents the essence of traditional Catalan cuisine:

good ingredients, patience, tradition and family gathered around the same table.

Ingredients

Serves 6–8

For the broth

• 500 g beef, preferably shin, brisket or beef cheek.
• 1 piece of chicken or hen, approximately 400–500 g.
• 1 ham bone.
• 1 beef knee or marrow bone.
• 1 salted pork bone, such as salted backbone.
• 150–200 g pork belly or pancetta.
• 1 piece of black botifarra, optional.
• 1 leek.
• 1 turnip.
• 3 carrots.
• 2 medium potatoes.
• 1 celery stalk.
• ½ cabbage.
• Cold water, enough to cover all the ingredients.
• Salt, to taste and used sparingly.

For the pilota

• 300 g minced meat, half beef and half pork.
• 1 egg.
• 30–40 g breadcrumbs.
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
• Fresh parsley, finely chopped.
• Salt.
• Freshly ground black pepper.

For the escudella

• 300–400 g galets, depending on their size.
• Strained carn d’olla broth.

To serve

• Cooked beef.
• Chicken or hen.
• Pilota.
• Cooked vegetables.
• Black botifarra.
• Rustic bread.
• Extra virgin olive oil, optional.

Preparation

01 · Prepare the pilota

The heart of the carn d’olla

Place the minced beef and pork in a large bowl.

Add the egg, breadcrumbs, finely chopped garlic and parsley.

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Mix gently until all the ingredients are evenly combined.

Avoid overworking the mixture, as the pilota should remain tender and juicy.

With slightly damp hands, shape the mixture into one large oval meatball.

It should be firm enough to hold its shape without being excessively compressed.

Set aside in the refrigerator while preparing the broth.

02 · Prepare the meat and bones

The foundation of the broth

Place the beef, chicken or hen, ham bone, beef bone and salted pork bone into a large stockpot.

Add the pork belly or pancetta.

Cover everything generously with cold water.

Starting with cold water allows the meat and bones to release their flavour and natural collagen gradually.

Bring the pot slowly to a boil over medium-high heat.

03 · Skim the broth

A clean and balanced stock

As the water begins to boil, foam and impurities will rise to the surface.

Carefully remove them with a skimmer.

Reduce the heat and maintain a gentle, steady simmer.

Avoid vigorous boiling, as this can make the broth cloudy and affect the texture of the meat.

04 · Add the vegetables

The flavour of the Catalan vegetable garden

Wash and peel the vegetables.

Add the leek, turnip, carrots and celery to the pot.

The cabbage and potatoes can be added later so they do not become excessively soft during the long cooking process.

Continue cooking gently.

The slow cooking process allows the meat and bones to release their aromas, flavour and natural gelatin into the broth.

05 · Slow cooking

Time is one of the essential ingredients

Cook everything for approximately 2–3 hours, depending on the size of the meat and the ingredients used.

During cooking, skim the surface whenever necessary.

Add the potatoes and cabbage approximately 45–60 minutes before the end of cooking.

Taste the broth and adjust the seasoning carefully.

Be particularly careful with the salt, as the salted bones and black botifarra can contribute considerable saltiness.

The finished broth should be rich, aromatic, clean and naturally full-bodied.

06 · Cook the pilota

The traditional Catalan meatball

Approximately 30–40 minutes before the end of cooking, carefully place the pilota into the broth.

Lower it gently into the pot to prevent it from breaking apart.

Allow it to cook slowly so that it becomes tender while absorbing the flavours of the broth.

If using black botifarra, add it only during the final 10–15 minutes of cooking.

This helps preserve its shape and texture.

07 · Strain the broth

The escudella begins here

Once the meat and vegetables are completely tender, carefully remove all the solid ingredients from the pot.

Strain the broth through a fine-mesh sieve.

For an especially clear broth, strain it a second time through clean muslin or cheesecloth.

Set the meat and vegetables aside.

The resulting broth will become the base of the escudella.

08 · Cook the galets

The traditional Catalan pasta

Return the strained broth to the pot and bring it to a gentle boil.

Add the galets and cook according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

If using large Christmas-style galets, monitor the cooking time carefully so that the pasta becomes tender while maintaining its structure.

Stir gently during cooking to prevent the pasta from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

If necessary, add a little additional hot broth if the galets absorb too much liquid.

09 · Prepare the carn d’olla

The second course

Cut the cooked beef into manageable portions.

Cut the chicken or hen and the pilota into portions as well.

The vegetables can be served whole or cut into large pieces.

Slice the black botifarra into thick rounds.

Arrange everything on a large serving platter.

Traditionally, the carn d’olla is served generously and placed in the centre of the table for everyone to share.

How to Serve Escudella

Two courses, one tradition

The traditional way to serve escudella amb carn d’olla is to begin with the escudella, the rich broth served with galets.

The carn d’olla follows as the second course, consisting of the cooked meats, pilota, vegetables and, when used, black botifarra.

The escudella should be served very hot.

The carn d’olla can be presented on a large shared platter.

Serve with rustic bread and, if desired, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil over the vegetables.

Gourmet Suggestions

Magic Dreams Barcelona

To give the escudella greater gastronomic depth:

• Use high-quality beef and pork bones to create a broth rich in natural collagen.
• Combine different types of meat for greater aromatic complexity.
• Always begin the broth with cold water.
• Maintain a gentle and controlled simmer.
• Skim impurities during the first stages of cooking.
• Add salt carefully, especially when using salted bones.
• Add vegetables according to their individual cooking times.
• Add the black botifarra towards the end to preserve its texture.
• Allow the broth to rest briefly before straining.
• For Christmas, use large galets for a more traditional and impressive presentation.

The secret to a great Escudella

The key is patience.

A great escudella does not require sophisticated ingredients.

It requires time.

Slow cooking allows the bones to release gelatin, the meats to develop depth and the vegetables to infuse their aromas into the broth.

The perfect broth should have body without being excessively fatty.

It should balance the richness of the meat with the natural sweetness of the vegetables and the distinctive flavour of the bones.

The pilota should be tender and juicy.

The galets should be perfectly cooked.

And the carn d’olla should retain enough texture for every ingredient to remain recognizable.

The ideal result is:

a deeply flavoured broth, tender galets and a generous, comforting carn d’olla.

Escudella de Nadal

At Christmas, escudella takes on an even more special role.

The large galets and pilota become the stars of the festive table.

For many Catalan families, preparing this dish is an integral part of the Christmas celebrations.

The large cooking pot becomes a symbol of family, warmth and culinary tradition.

For a festive presentation, use large galets and serve generous portions of pilota on the carn d’olla platter.

The broth can be served in deep plates or traditional bowls.

Gourmet Presentation

For a contemporary presentation, arrange the galets in a deep plate and pour the hot broth around them.

Place a portion of pilota in the centre and finish with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil.

The vegetables can be cut into regular pieces and carefully arranged around the plate.

The carn d’olla can be served separately on a traditional ceramic platter, preserving its family-style character.

For a more refined dining experience, serve a smaller portion of escudella as the first course and present the carn d’olla as a second course.

This transforms a traditional family dish into an elegant two-course experience without losing its identity.

Make-Ahead Preparation

Escudella is one of those dishes that can actually improve after resting for several hours.

The broth and meats can be prepared the day before.

Once cooled, refrigerate the broth.

If a layer of fat forms on the surface, it can easily be removed before reheating.

The following day, gently reheat the broth and cook the galets just before serving.

This technique produces a cleaner and more concentrated broth.

It also makes the dish much easier to organize when preparing it for a family gathering or Christmas celebration.

Storage

Broth: keep refrigerated in an airtight container for approximately 3–4 days.

Meat and vegetables: refrigerate separately from the broth and consume within approximately 3–4 days.

Pilota: refrigerate with the other cooked meats and ideally consume within 2–3 days.

Escudella with cooked galets: best consumed the same day, as the pasta will continue absorbing broth and gradually lose its texture.

The broth and meat can also be frozen in suitable containers.

For the best results, we recommend freezing the broth separately from the galets and cooking the pasta when ready to serve.

The Spirit of Escudella

Escudella amb carn d’olla represents one of the most important principles of traditional Catalan cuisine:

making something extraordinary from simple ingredients.

Meat, bones, vegetables and pasta are slowly transformed into a complete, nourishing and deeply comforting meal.

It is resourceful cooking, but it is also celebratory cooking.

It is a dish that speaks of winter, Christmas, families gathered around the table and recipes passed from one generation to the next.

And perhaps that is where its true value lies.

One great pot, good ingredients, time and good company.

That is the essence of an authentic Catalan Escudella amb Carn d’Olla.