Dessi and Alex arrived from Spain last winter in the worst of the gales and rain.  Luckily Alex said he was keen on gales so we spent a bit of time travelling to stark spots on the coast to view the waves.  When the gale was at its worst and the tide going over the road and creeping towards the stable and old cottage I have to say I was very relieved that they were staying and so able to calm my nerves.  Luckily the road remained intact, even though we had the foresight to park the cars on the safe side of the beach should the road be washed away. Dessi was a fabulous cook and we had some super meals of fish from the shop in Union Hall. Various types of squid and monkfish etc., her parents had run a popular restaurant on the east coast of Spain.

Alex mending bridge by pond and Dessi with Jamal

We came from the sunny Palamós to the rainy Union Hall in the middle of the winter, it was cold but we couldn´t be warmer in EastReen Farm with Ann and her dogs. It´s a place where you can forget that the rest of the world exists, the smell of the sea, the colour of the countryside, the sound of the wind, the wildlife, make the perfect atmosphere to enjoy.

Here is our recipe……

CANALONS DE CARN PICADA

The dish is CANALONS DE CARN (canalons of meat)
To prepare this typical catalan dish for 4 people you will need

16 pieces of canaloni pasta (could buy in the supermarket, very similar to lassagna pasta)

2 garlic cloves

1 onion

500 grs of mince ( veal and pig)

a can of fried tomatoe

a little can of paté

500 ml of bechamel

grated cheese

olive oil “virgen extra”

salt

ground black pepper

Prepare the canalons according to the instructions in the box, in my case, 15 min on boiling water moving them from time to time to prevent sticking. After 15 min we drain and put them on a cloth. We put now some meat in the middle of each canalon and roll them as a cilinder.

Then, we put each canaló (cilinder) in a oven tray and we cover them with bechamel and grated cheese.We bake for 20 min at 200 degrees.

NOTE: How to prepare the meat

Firstable,we peel the onion and the garlic, grind them and add some oil in a pan. Then, we put the meat, a ilttel bit of salt and groun black pepper. When the meat is ready we add the paté and 2 spoons of fried tomato, mix them and it is finished.