It's ten o'clock in the morning and Marc Miñarro is walking in and out of the kitchen of the Montferry winery in the Sants district of Barcelona, handing out portions of what he considers one of the basics of the fork breakfast (emorzar de forquilla). “A stew in a deep bowl or clay pot that requires a spoon, fork and knife, a good portion of bread for dipping, and time to enjoy one of those long lunches that seem like a meal.”
Eggs fit here in almost all formats; Cod with Sanfaina, Llauna or with spinach, raisins and pine nuts; beef stews with dark, savory sauces; aromatic offal and lip-sticking gelatin; bacon, sausages and other cured meats; meatballs, garlic puree and dried fruit; Chickpeas and beans fried without haste, thyme, rosemary and rancid wine: a breakfast that has become a ritual that unites generations and a diverse clientele for the common good of good food.
Tortillas with different fillings are a trademark at Granja Elena. Caterina Barjau
Although fork breakfasts are usually related to country breakfasts, Xesco Good, chef at Ca l'Esteve, professor of culinary technology, expert in gastronomic culture and author of the recipe book La cuina dels altres catalans (Larousse, 2023), points in a different direction. “The guild of hoteliers and innkeepers already existed in the 16th century; The first offers were aimed primarily at those who worked in the city, such as trajineros or muleteers, carters, merchants or horse-drawn carriage drivers. Grilled meat, a tortilla, or a slice of bread with leftovers from last night's dinner solved the problem.
As early as the 19th century, “the so-called Fondas de Sisos – because the dishes cost six quarters (18 cents peseta) – offered cheap food, not necessarily for breakfast, but since they had long opening hours, they were good for everything,” he emphasizes. Oh well. There were cap i pota, aregades – sardines marinated in salt – accompanied by cabbage trinxat – known as “payés con barretina” -, pig's trotters or peus del senyor steamed or grilled, tortillas with various fillings and fried eggs – two of them on the plate Called “bicicleta” – and butifarra or lomo con seques (white beans cooked and sautéed with garlic and parsley). The Catalan customs that Josep Pla presented in his books.
You can also enjoy an aperitif or buy wine and vermouth at the Montferry winery in Sants. Caterina Barjau
Over time and with increasing popularity, other stews were added, with or without legumes, sausages, toast, champion sandwiches, cocas and “in some areas, such as the coast of Tarragona, also fried fish, squid or octopus”. To accompany this and as a tribute to these origins, Bueno cannot miss a mug of wine or beer: “It is one of the moments when this fantastic drinking instrument, which is unfortunately on the way to disappearing, is still justified.”
At Ca l'Esteve, a fork breakfast is offered daily, but once a month – usually on the second Sunday – they prepare a closed surprise menu that can include anything from monographs to migas to seasonal game stews or legumes brought back from their travels. like beans from El Barco de Ávila.
Patricia Sierra, sommelier at Granja Elena, recommends wines for every dish. Caterina Barjau
The popularity of the fork breakfast has made it transversal, be it the traditional cod a la Llauna or the knuckle from Bodega Gelida, the trinxat from Can Vilaró or the squid with beans from Pinotxo – recently moved from La Boquería to Sant Antoni de Barcelona -More offers with refined techniques were added.
At Granja Elena they prepare “haute neighborhood cuisine”, which means a combination of good product and many hours at low heat, and another that simply requires a touch of grill, like the Palamós prawns, which are not on the menu stand. “The offal is a legacy from my mother, who started preparing tripe, cap i pota, lamb heads or sweetbreads, dishes that have been on the menu for a long time,” Borja Sierra tells us from the kitchen, continuing to bring out the stews, fried eggs with mushrooms and cod omelettes, for which they received a sun in the Repsol Guide.
The embers at Casa Axín in the Poble Sec neighborhood are lit for a hearty breakfast. Caterina Barjau
There you can “have a good breakfast for 15 euros or pay yourself a tribute and lighten the load on your card,” laughs Sierra; “There is a couple who come every Saturday first thing in the morning; She asks about tripe and he asks about what we have off the menu; From bacon and eggs to a plate of elvers, luxury ultimately means eating what you want, when you want,” he reflects. That's why you can also enjoy a coffee and pastries at Forn Bertán, and on Saturdays there are Chuchos – Xuixos – from the Lis pastry shop: if they have to look for products somewhere, they do it. An example is the extensive wine list, with references ranging from the most classic wineries to natural or biodynamic wineries.
Casa Axín has been open since 2011 and in the morning there is a constant flow of customers filling the dining room and terrace. “We prepare everything homemade: fricandó, oxtail, cod, tripe or cap i pota,” says Axín as he cuts Iberian ham, answering affirmatively to a man who asks him if he will have an ear on Thursday or not on the neighbor who is I'm interested in whether sardines are on the daily menu. “You see, otherwise I can’t get down, right?” the woman laughs. These sardines are grilled on the grill, which is the difference of this establishment, located in a building in the Poble Sec district. “They demand a lot of meat from us, especially lamb ribs, loin or chicken, but also fish or squid,” says Axín.
A fork breakfast with Cap i Pota and views of the Rossinyol mountain range at the Cal Ros viewpoint. Caterina Barjau
All of these dishes are also on the lunch menu, of which between 40 and 50 are sent out every day (between 70 and 80 on Thursdays and Fridays). For Alberto García Moyano, lawyer, partner of Bodega Carol and the gourmet sandwich shop Sants es Crema, professional breakfast eater and fan of eggs and bacon from Axín – in addition to the cod a la llauna from Rincón de Sanabria or the meatballs with potatoes from Bar Gol – that is one of the distinguishing features of this lunch: “It’s like driving a cycle of daily meals.”
The Ultramarinos Marín grill bar also makes its grill available to the public from the early hours of the morning, where chistorra, rabbit or ribs sizzle, accompanied by the excellent homemade aioli that they combine from the counter with pickles of the day and wonderful sweetbreads. There is no brunch or eggs benedict, as a handwritten sign explains – with some reserve – to possibly unsuspecting people.
At Casa Axín, Axín masterfully cuts one of his customers' favorite products, Iberian ham. Caterina Barjau
Carles Armengol, author of Collado: The Curse of a House of Meals (Colectivo Bruxista, 2022), psychologist by profession and hotelier by vocation, who currently works behind the bar of the +Bernat bookstore, explains that “any sofrito-based stew does “If you eat it between six and eleven in the morning, it becomes a meal that tastes like a fork: what distinguishes it from other breakfasts is that the bread plays a minor role and we usually use it to His favorites for dipping include the Gelida beef fricandó, “although there are lines of unsuspecting Japanese,” and anything they have at La Cova Fumada or Santornem-hi, both in Barcelona serve.
At the Montferry winery they have decided to sandwich their stews between bread, as a slightly quicker option for those who don't want the well-deserved hour of rest and chat before breakfast and the parade of cap-i-pota and tripa muffins with chimichurri or meatballs. With the bars with pig's ear with peppers and sausages in tomato and rancid wine you can show your success.
When breakfast time is over, the daily menu begins at Casa Axín. Caterina Barjau
But there is one sandwich that is never the same and always triumphs. The morning photos of their succulent suckling pig sandwiches with cheddar and aioli, Canarian ham with arugula and mustard, or tuna with pickled mussels and pickled onions encourage customers to come closer (and make those far away salivate). “In 2013, at the dawn of Instagram, we decided to make this social network our suggestion board of the day and continue to do so to this day,” they say. When they can, they also make tortillas with special fillings combining potatoes and egg with combinations such as paprika and smoked chorizo or black and white sausage with gorgonzola cream.
Sitting in Cal Ros's Barcelona dining room, which they call “the viewpoint,” is an experience that goes beyond gastronomy, thanks to the impressive views of Puigmal. The rural setting has a lot to do with the type of public that Ramon Berengueras and Zoraida Quintero – who have been running the company since 2016, although it has been open for 30 years – come to get a good taste of their tripe, toasts, grilled meat dishes, and Weekend dishes like beef with porcini mushrooms (Boletus edulis).
Toasted bread with tomatoes, sausage and cheese in Cal Ros. Caterina Barjau
“Motorcyclists, cyclists or hikers come every day: breakfast is like a gift that they give themselves after a good physical effort,” says Berengueras. “Because it’s a community that does a lot of work, a lot of it happens through word of mouth. If you do it well, one driver brings the other and more and more come.” Surrounded by customers with the satisfaction of having done our duty, we sat at the viewpoint in front of a plate of Cap i Pota with a privileged view on a cold morning awakens the senses, starting with the sense of smell, when the steaming and warm plate is served and is brought to you. As we eat bread, we think about something Marc Miñarro told us: “The desire to spread the sauce before attacking whatever is in the stew: that, for me, is what makes a good fork breakfast.” Amen.
Subscribe to continue reading
Read without limits
_