La Cerdanya, Pyrenees, Catalonia
Trinxat — from the Catalan word for mashed or chopped — is a winter dish from the Pyrenean Cerdanya region: boiled kale (col d'hivern) and potato mashed together with pork fat, formed into a cake, and fried until deeply caramelised on both sides. It is then topped with crispy strips of bacon or panceta. The kale must be winter-sweetened — frost-touched col must be used, which converts its starches to sugar and removes the bitterness. Trinxat is mountain food, mountain winter food. It is not elegant. It is dense, fatty, deeply savoury, and completely honest.
Winter kale only — summer kale lacks the sweetness frost produces. Boil the kale and potato together until very soft. Drain thoroughly — excess moisture prevents the crust from forming. Mash coarsely, not smoothly — some texture is important. Form into a cake in a pan with pork fat and press firmly. Do not move until a proper brown crust forms — 10-12 minutes. Flip carefully and repeat.
The bacon or panceta can be crisped separately and laid on top at service, or cooked in the pan before the cake and the fat used to fry the trinxat. Trinxat can be formed into individual cakes for restaurant service. A fried egg on top transforms it into a complete meal. Pairs naturally with red Priorat or Montsant.
Using summer kale — the bitterness dominates. Not draining adequately — wet mash steams rather than fries. Moving the cake too early — the crust needs time to set. Using butter instead of pork fat — the flavour profile changes entirely. Mashing too smooth — the coarse texture is part of trinxat's identity.
The Food of Spain by Claudia Roden