MAKES 20 CANNELLONI: SERVES 4 TO 5
Though these days it’s considered a local dish, this is one of the plates that clearly shows the influence of Italians and Swiss working in Barcelona in the nineteenth century. That began, according to gastro- historian Néstor Luján, with the celebrated restaurant El Suizo, found along Barcelona’s Las Ramblas. Canelones went from the public—the finest restaurants of the time—to the private—home cooking. And, almost uniquely, it made the reverse trek of many dishes, moving from the city to the countryside, where canelones are now considered a supreme country classic.
Canelones are traditionally prepared for San Esteban (December 26, St. Stephen’s Day), and for many families are an unfailing part of the holidays. My mother-in-law makes a couple of trays of them—some eighty-five or ninety canelones—for the family every year. The labor is intense. But she would never give it up.
1. To make the filling: In a cazuela, Dutch oven, large sauté pan, or deep skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the chicken, pork, veal, and the chicken livers (if using) with salt; add to the pan; and brown, turning as needed, about 5 minutes. Pour in the brandy, cook for 2 minutes, and then add the onion, tomatoes, garlic, and cinnamon. Dribble in ½> cup/120 ml water, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer until the meats are tender and the liquid has been reduced to a sauce, about 1¼ hours. Remove the pan from the heat and let cool. Discard the cinnamon. In a food processor or meat grinder, finely grind the meats and sauce. Transfer to a large bowl. Moisten with the milk.
2. Meanwhile, prepare the cannelloni sheets: In a large pot, bring 3 quarts/3 L water to a rolling boil and add the salt. Add the cannelloni squares one by one. Gently boil, swirling the water with a wooden spoon from time to time to keep them from sticking together, until al dente, 12 to 15 minutes (follow the time indicated on the package). Remove the pot from the heat and pour in some cold water to begin the cooling process. Fill a bowl with cold water, and transfer the squares with a slotted spoon to the cold water to finish cooling. Carefully drain. Cover a large work surface with clean kitchen cloths. Arrange the squares in a single layer on the towels to absorb excess water.
3. To make the sauce: Prepare a thin béchamel with the milk, butter, flour, and nutmeg, following the directions on page 338. Remove from the heat.
4. Onto each cannelloni square, place 2 tablespoons of the filling and roll the squares into tubes with the sides just overlapping. Place them tightly together in a large baking dish with the seams facing either downward or upward.
5. Preheat the broiler.
6. Spoon the béchamel sauce over the top of the cannelloni and then sprinkle with the cheese. Broil until the cheese is golden brown in places, 5 to 10 minutes.
7. Use a small flat spatula to remove the cannelloni from the baking dish without breaking them. Start with three per plate. Spoon some sauce from the dish over the top. Serve hot.
NOTE: Spanish cannelloni sheets (called placas or láminas) are flat and square with fluted edges. A standard package contains 20 sheets and weighs 125 g, or about 4½> ounces. See Sources, page 345, for where to find them. You can also substitute lasagna sheets broken into about 3-inch/7.5-cm squares.
