Sopa de Galets Catalana

Sopa de galets is Catalan, the Christmas soup that opens the table before the carn d'olla, the boiled meats and vegetables from the escudella. What makes it itself is the size of the pasta, those big snail-shaped galets, and the pilota, the seasoned meat mixture tucked inside each shell so every spoonful carries broth, pasta, and meat together.

The method that decides it is the broth. Make the escudella slowly with bones, chicken, pork, beef, vegetables, and chickpeas if you use them, then strain it clean before the pasta goes in. A cloudy broth still feeds you, no shame, but a clean caldo lets the galets cook glossy instead of heavy and grey. Do not boil the stuffed shells hard. They are not stones.

If you are far from Catalonia, no hace falta haber pisado España. Use the largest shell pasta you can find if true galets are missing, and stuff them gently with a piping bag or a teaspoon. The shape will be a little different, but the dish still works if the broth is good and the filling is seasoned properly. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.

In the Margin of my notebook, this one has only a warning: count the galets. People pretend they want a small bowl at Christmas, then look offended when the pot is empty.