Traditional Christmas Foods across Europe

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION
2. AUSTRIA
3. CYPRUS
4. CZECH REPUBLIC
5. FRANCE
6. GERMANY
7. GREAT BRITAIN
8. GREECE
9. HOLLAND
10. HUNGARY
11. POLAND
12. PORTUGAL
13. ROMANIA
14. SERBIA
15. SLOVENIA
16. SPAIN
    1. Cardo con almendras (cardoon with almonds)
    2. Cardo con pure dorado de nabos (cardoon with golden turnip purée)
    3. Besugo al horno (baked sea bream)
    4. Besugo a la Vinagreta (baked sea bream in a vinegar sauce)
    5. Bacalao abadej con almendras (Salt cod with almonds)
    6. Cordero Lechal (suckling lamb)
    7. Escudella i Carn d'Olla (Catalan meat stew)
    8. Pollastre a la Catalana (Chicken the Catalan way, or Chicken with dried plums, dried raisins and pine nuts)
    9. Peras al Vino Tinto (Pears in red wine)
    10. Guirlache (the local turron speciality of Aragon)
    11. Polvorones

Cordero Lechal (suckling lamb)

Ingredients:
2 legs of suckling lamb
3 onions
6 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
1/2 tablespoon of hot red pepper
1 small glass of wine vinegar
4 pistils of saffron
150 g honey (preferably of rosemary or garrigue)
some olive oil
salt to taste

Preparation:
Put some olive oil in an earthenware crock and heat this on stove top. When hot throw in the onion, finely chopped. When the onion has been fried to a transparent tone, add the meat. Turn the meat in the pan until it has browned on all sides. Add the bay leaf, the salt and the vinegar.

Now put the earthen ware crock into the oven (180◦C) for 30-40 minutes.

Regularly sprinkle the juices over the lamb, during this period, taking care that it does not reduce too much. Should it do so, add a little warm water to the juices.

Meanwhile, and before taking the lamb out of the oven, put the honey and vinegar into a small saucepan to melt, stirring constantly until the honey and the vinegar are totally combined. Pour this sauce over the lamb and return it to the oven for 10 minutes.

Serve hot.