Escudella, from the Occitanie region

Ingredients

12 servings

• 1 chicken of about 1.8 kg
• 1 beef shank
• 2 fresh pork shanks
• 3 pig's trotters + 2 pig's tails
• 6 dry black puddings
• 6 dry white puddings or a piece of "dios" (large white pudding)
• 5 marrow bones
• 1 dry cured ham (heel/end)
• 3 onions
• 6 carrots
• 3 turnips
• 1/2 green cabbage
• 1 kg potatoes
• 400 g dried white beans
• 400 g dried chickpeas
• 400 g flat beans
• 300 g sausage meat
• 300 g beef
• 300 g minced veal
• 1 glass of milk
• 3 slices of bread
• 2 eggs
• 3 cloves of garlic
• salt and pepper

Steps

1. 1

   The day before, soak the dried white beans and chickpeas separately in cold water.

2. 2

   In a large cauldron, place the meats, bones, and the hen.

3. 3

   Cover well with water and cook for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, peel the potatoes, onions, carrots, and turnips.

4. 4

   Chop everything coarsely. Shred the green cabbage and set aside.

5. 5

   Prepare the pelota: in a large bowl, mix the minced meats with the crushed garlic cloves, the bread softened in milk, and the eggs.

6. 6

   Season with salt and pepper, form a ball, and wrap and tie it in a cloth.

7. 7

   After one hour of cooking the meats, add the vegetables, the pelota, and the drained vegetables (chickpeas and white beans) to the cauldron.

8. 8

   Cook for 30 to 40 minutes, then check the doneness of the meats and remove the hen, setting it aside.

9. 9

   Add the sausages and flat beans, cook for another 30 minutes before putting the hen back in.

10. 10

    Serve like a pot-au-feu. You can cook some vermicelli separately.