Andorra

Menu: Trinxat and torrijas | Recipe Source: foreignfork.com

The hardest part of going out to brunch is deciding whether to order something sweet or savory, and it turns out that problem extends to Andorran breakfast, too. I’ve spent the last two weeks trying to figure out if I wanted to make trinxat (lightly browned ham & potato “pancakes”) or torrijas (a crispy, almond-scented variant of French toast); and ultimately, I decided to not decide at all!

Thoughts: I made trinxat first because I had most of the ingredients already on hand, and Anthony and I loved it. It tasted like a subtly vegetal version of mashed potatoes and the bacon shards + frying time added such a good crunch. This one was delicious, affordable, and the perfect Thanksgiving sneak peek. Now on to the torrijas… If heaven had a taste, it would be torrijas. They had all the delicious crispness of French toast on the exterior, and then a lemony, creamy interior that reminded me of rice pudding. I would absolutely make these again!

Ready to cook?

Trinxat: (link): Instead of a whole cabbage, I opted to use only 1/2 and I focused mainly on the soft/green parts because I figured they would mash and combine better after the boiling step (and my hypothesis was correct). I added two bay leaves and a large sprig of thyme during boiling, and instead of browning diced garlic, I grated 4 giant garlic cloves and simmered them in olive oil before stirring that paste into the mash. I also cooked the bacon until it was brittle and added about 3/4 of it into the mash prior to browning.

Torrijas (link): I made a few small changes to this recipe. I used 3 cinnamon sticks instead of 1, switched to creamy oat milk instead of whole milk, and added one bay leaf to the milk mixture during boiling. I also fried using a mixture of avocado and olive oil.