19. Andorra (between south France and northern Spain in the Pyrenees mountains).
The capital is Andorra la Vella.
“The mainstay of the highly-prosperous economy is tourism, accounting for about 80% of GDP. An estimated 10 million people visit each year, drawn by winter sports, a warm summer climate and duty-free goods.
For more than 700 years Andorra was ruled jointly by the leader of France and the Spanish Bishop of Urgell.
The first Andorran Constitution was passed in 1993, establishing parliamentary government. It then joined the United Nations and Council of Europe.
The co-princes remain Andorra's heads of state, but the roles are honorary.
Andorra is not a member of the EU, but enjoys a special relationship with it and uses the euro.” -bbc.com

 

The dishes we made:
Escargot Bolets Fordices (Escargot Stuffed Mushrooms), Grilled Whole Andorran Trout, Andorran Trinxat (Potatoes, Cabbage, and Bacon Latke/Pancake) and Crema Catalana.

 

Escargot Bolets Fordices (Escargot Stuffed Mushrooms)                           VERY, VERY, VERY Good!
1 -7 ounce can of escargot drained and rinsed thoroughly in hot water.
Mushrooms to stuff, cleaned and stems removed (we used baby Bellas)
6 tablespoons of butter
4 cloves garlic minced
1/3 cup white wine
1/3 cup cream
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon tarragon dried
¼ cup parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Take your cleaned and drained escargot and place onto a paper towel and pat dry.
Melt the butter in a large skillet with the garlic over medium heat.
Add in the escargot and mushroom caps (it really does take all the butter to keep anything from frying).
Cook until tender ~15 min.
Whisk together the wine, cream, flour and tarragon in a small bowl.
Pour into the skillet slowly and bring to a boil, stirring until the sauce thickens ~ 5-10 min.
Remove from the skillet and place the mushroom caps in a baking dish.
Spoon the escargots into the caps as best you can.
Pour the remaining sauce over the mushroom caps and into the baking dish.
Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top.
Bake until the cheese turns golden brown ~15 min.
Serve hot.

 

Grilled Whole Andorran Trout  VERY Good!
Whole Trout, head on
3 Tbsp Olive Oil
3 Tbsp Lemon Juice
1/4 cup minced fresh Parsley
Salt
Pepper
Also Add: dried Sage and Oregano

Preheat grill to medium-high.
Rinse fish inside and out.
Blot dry.
Season insides with olive oil, lemon juice, parsley, salt, and pepper.
Oil the outside of the fish and place in a grill rack.
Cook for about 6 minutes per side.
Serve immediately.

 

 

 

Andorran Trinxat (Potatoes, Cabbage, and Bacon Latke/Pancake)       VERY, VERY Good!
½ green cabbage, large chop
3 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 strips bacon, diced
2 Tbsp minced fresh parsley
olive oil
salt, pepper

In a large pot filled with salted water, boil potatoes, cabbage and garlic until tender.
Drain thoroughly. Return vegetables to pot over low heat and let steam dry some more.
Roughly mash cabbage, potatoes, garlic, S & P.
In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium until crispy. Crumble bacon and add back to pan.
Increase heat to medium high. Add potatoes and cabbage on top of bacon.
Press into the pan to make a flat cake.
Cook until bottom is golden brown. This takes longer than you’d think, but you need it to form a crust on the bottom. Just shake the pan until it starts to release.
Pass under broiler until top is hot and slightly golden.
Turn over onto serving platter, bacon side up.

 

Crema Catalana (Andorran Crème Brulee)     VERY, VERY, VERY Good!
Crema catalana is similar to creme brulee, but it has a thinner crust and is usually flavored with orange rind and cinnamon. It is traditionally made in terracotta dishes.

1 cup Cream
1 cinnamon stick or ½ tsp powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 orange, rind grated
3 egg yolks
¼ cup sugar
1 Tbsp Corn Starch
½ Tbsp Flour

Place cream, cinnamon, vanilla and orange rind in a saucepan and bring to boiling point, then remove from heat and set aside for 10-15 minutes to infuse.
Beat egg yolks, sugar, corn starch and flour until pale.
Remove cinnamon stick, if used, from cream and pour over egg mixture.
Stir to combine.
Return mixture to the pan and cook over low heat, stirring, for 5-10 minutes or until thick.
Pour into small, flat dishes (Brulee dishes), cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Sprinkle sugar, then use a kitchen blowtorch to caramelize the tops (can put under a broiler if no torch available).
Serve immediately.
NOTE: I put regular sugar in a mortar and pestle to make it more superfine for easier caramelizing.