Picada

This gives rise to the other characteristic of Catalan cuisine, which is the picada, a concept with no northern equivalent, a way of giving a last minute ‘bite’ to a dish which has been slowly simmering for a long time; and, incidentally, a solution to the use of garlic (introduced at the last moment), whose flavour in any case is spoiled by slow cooking — leaving one with a thirst.

The picada involves the pounding of blanched and peeled almonds, sometimes roasted, and/or hazelnuts, and/or pine kernels, with garlic and chopped parsley to a fine paste, then diluted with olive oil to liberate it from the mortar. The parsley used is the smooth singleleaved variety.