Gourmet Traditions

Our region is full of traditions, and gastronomy is no exception! Unique gourmet flavors to make yourself or discover at our local restaurants.

Rousquilles

The specialty of Amélie-les-Bains Palalda

The Rousquille is a delicious soft biscuit flavored with lemon and coated with sugar icing. There may still be some confusion about the birthplace of this biscuit, but it was indeed in Amélie-les-Bains that Marius Séguéla created the Rousquille in 1810. Today, its recipe remains a secret passed down from generation to generation.

Find the authentic melting Rousquille at Pâtisserie Perez-Aubert!

The Sumptuous

An exclusive Amélien cake

The Sumptuous, a delicious rum cake with a unique aroma, made with almond paste and "yéma," a jam made from egg yolks. It was created in 1923 by Maison Pi-Roué.

Touron

A popular Christmas confectionery in Catalonia

Touron is a sweet confectionery similar to nougat, more or less soft. It is made of almonds, hazelnuts mixed with honey or sugar.

There are many variations of this specialty in the Mediterranean region, but the Tourons of Northern Catalonia are white with a soft and flowing paste.

This sweet treat is highly popular during the Christmas period in Catalan families.

Find Touron at Pâtisserie Perez Aubert in Amélie-les-Bains!

Ingredients

250 grams of sugar

250 grams of white honey

250 grams of almonds

250 grams of hazelnuts

5 egg whites

Wafer sheet

Cinnamon powder

Blanch the almonds, peel them, and roast them in the oven. Also roast the hazelnuts in a pan and remove the skin. Grind and crush the almonds and hazelnuts in a mortar.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and mix them with the almonds and hazelnuts. Put the honey and sugar in a saucepan, bring to a boil, and add the previous mixture. Sprinkle with cinnamon.
Stir for about 10 minutes. Remove and pour the paste into molds lined with wafer sheets. Let it harden.

Catalan Cream

A traditional dessert known by all

Catalan cream or "crema cremada" is a typical dessert of our region, formerly called "Crema de San Jose." It was customary to enjoy it on Saint Joseph's Day, March 19th, on the eve of spring.

This dessert is served in a terracotta ramekin, and a hot iron is traditionally used to burn the top.

Make your own Catalan cream by getting the traditional ramekin at

the fine grocery store/ tapas bar Cava Lola.

Or find this dessert in the restaurants of Amélie-les-Bains Palalda!

Ingredients

1 liter of milk

8 eggs

75 grams of sugar

50 grams of cornstarch

1 lemon zest

1 orange peel

1 cinnamon stick

1 pinch of salt

3 tablespoons of brown sugar for the caramel

Boil the milk with the cinnamon stick and orange peel.
In a bowl, mix the egg yolks with the sugar, grated lemon zest, and cornstarch until the mixture whitens. Add the boiling milk.
Return the saucepan to the heat and cook the cream while stirring until it thickens. Stop the cooking.
Pour the cream into ramekins and let it cool.
Sprinkle brown sugar on the cream and caramelize it using a hot iron.

Bunyetes

A typical specialty of Roussillon

Bunyetes or bougnettes are light, crispy, and fragrant fritters usually enjoyed during Easter celebrations.

For some Catalans, making them is a tradition and an opportunity to spend a day with family. The recipe is often passed down from generation to generation.

During Easter, find this specialty at Pâtisserie Perez-Aubert and in the bakeries of the town!

Ingredients (80 to 100 Bunyetes)

- For the dough

12 eggs

1.5 kilos of flour

250 grams of softened butter

65 grams of fresh yeast

1 glass of warm water

1 shot glass of orange blossom water or rum

Grated zest of 12 lemons

1 tablespoon of lard (optional)

1 teaspoon of salt

- For cooking

500 grams of sugar for sprinkling

2 to 3 liters of oil for frying

Dough preparation (to be done the day before or in the morning)

Dissolve the yeast in a glass of warm water. Soften the butter and lard with a fork. Beat the eggs into an omelet.
Pour the flour into a bowl and make a well. Add the rest of the ingredients to the center. Work the dough slowly and for a long time until it becomes golden-yellow and has a smooth and supple consistency (it should not stick to your fingers).
Wrap it in a floured clean cloth and let it rest until evening or the next day. It should quadruple in volume.

Cooking

Heat the oil in a fryer without a basket over medium heat.
Carefully take a small ball of dough and stretch it until you obtain a regular circle, as thin as possible.
Drop it into the very hot oil and turn it until it becomes golden brown. Drain it and place it on a plate. Sprinkle with sugar.

Bras de Gitan

The rolled cake of the Pyrénées-Orientales

Bras de Gitan is a rolled cake filled with pastry cream and wrapped in a flavored sponge cake.

The origin of the name of this pastry comes from its cylindrical shape, which resembles a forearm.

It is called Bras de Gitan because this community is strongly represented in Catalan Country. The story goes that in the 19th century, tinsmiths, often of Gypsy origin, offered their services to pastry shops.

To thank them, the pastry chefs would give them the unsold rolls of the day, so the Gypsies would leave with the rolls in their arms, hence the name Bras de Gitan.

Enjoy this specialty at Pâtisserie Perez-Aubert and in the bakeries of the town!

	Ingredients: - For the cream 50 centiliters of milk 125 grams of sugar 60 grams of flour 4 egg yolks 20 grams of butter 1 vanilla bean 1 tablespoon of rum Candied orange peels

Le pa d'ous

Catalan flan

Literally "pa d'ous" means "egg bread," its recipe is simple: eggs, milk, sugar, a vanilla pod, and that's it!

This Catalan flan is the perfect dessert for family meals.

Ingredients

1 liter of milk

125 grams of sugar

80 grams of sugar for the mold

6 eggs

1 vanilla pod

Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Boil the milk and sugar. Beat the eggs and pour in the milk while whisking vigorously. Add the vanilla pod.
Caramelize the mold, pour in the milk and egg mixture. Place in the lower part of the oven in a water bath for 45 minutes.
Let it cool before unmolding.

L'ouillade

The Catalan winter dish

L'Ouillade is a typical Catalan winter dish, made of meats and vegetables cooked slowly in a large pot.

Ingredients

Ham rind

1 salted pork hock

2 pig ears

1 pig's foot

1 pig's tail

200 grams of sausage meat

1 green cabbage

100 grams of dried beans

6 large potatoes

1 large onion

Salt, pepper

1 egg

1 teaspoon of parsley

In a large pot, add the dried beans and 3 liters of water and bring to a boil.
Add the meat and the rind. Cook for 3 hours.
Meanwhile, mix the sausage meat with the whole egg and parsley, shape into 2 to 3 sausages, and roll in flour.
Clean the cabbage, cut it into strips. Peel the potatoes and cut them into quarters, peel the onion, leaving it whole.
After 3 hours of cooking, add the vegetables, and after 1 more hour of cooking, add the sausages and cook for another 30 minutes. Serve hot.

Les Boles de picolat

The popular dish of Roussillon

This dish made of minced meat balls in a spicy sauce is typically served in winter. It is one of the must-try specialties of Catalan country!

Taste this specialty in the restaurants of the town or even take it to go

from Paret's caterer!

Ingredients

400 grams of minced beef

400 grams of sausage meat

3 garlic cloves

2 eggs

150 grams of salted pork belly, cut into cubes

1 large chopped onion

2 tablespoons of tomato puree

200 grams of pitted green olives

50 grams of dried porcini mushrooms

Salt and pepper

In a bowl, mix the sausage meat, minced beef, chopped garlic, and eggs. Season with salt and pepper, and knead everything together.
Shape the mixture into meatballs, roll them in flour, and brown them in hot oil.
Fry the pork belly and chopped onion, add the porcini mushrooms and tomato puree, thicken with 2 tablespoons of flour, and add 3 glasses of water.
Add the olives, salt, and pepper, simmer for a few minutes, then add the meatballs.
Cover and simmer for 1 hour on low heat.