Hostal La Muntanya: Finger-licking good traditional mountain cuisine

Let's go to Cal Castellet in Castellar de n'Hug. This is the family home that has housed Hostal La Muntanya for sixty-two years, an ideal place to enjoy traditional Catalan dishes and, if you wish, to relax after exploring the village and its surroundings. It's run by Ferran Rial Orriols and his wife, Crina. At the beginning of the 20th century, the village only had one inn, and when it was full, diners were distributed among other private homes to accommodate visitors. Ferran's grandmother was an excellent cook, and seeing the success of her dishes, his grandparents Cecilia and Isidre decided to open a guesthouse and restaurant in 1963. Later, Ferran's mother, Sisqueta, took over the business, making it a landmark in the region. Now, she flawlessly fulfills the roles of grandmother and mushroom hunter; she's a very active woman who occasionally pops in to make sure everything is in order.

It's lunchtime, and Ferran offers us a menu brimming with the finest dishes of Catalan mountain cuisine. Although the harshest cold hasn't yet arrived, we'll sample the most representative products of this privileged region of our country. We begin with a stew and pot roast, a reminder that Christmas is just around the corner. Of course, we couldn't miss the trinchado, made with cabbage from his own garden. Trinchado is a very simple dish, but difficult to find, mainly due to the quality of the ingredients. It's essential to use curly green cabbage that has been exposed to the cold. It must be harvested when it freezes because it produces an antifreeze substance that alters its flavor and makes it more delicious.

The trio of first courses culminates with one featuring black peas. The traditional dish is made with pancetta, roast beef, and sautéed spring garlic, but we enjoyed them with cuttlefish and a picada sauce, also following the classic Catalan recipe. This pea is a native variety found only in Berguedà, the upper part of Solsonès, and a small section of Alt Urgell. It's a dried legume more similar to a chickpea than a green pea.

"The village hunters will never leave us without deer."

The main courses were equally impressive: squid with chanterelle mushrooms, following a recipe by Miquel Márquez, a chef and mushroom expert who for many years ran the Sala de Berga restaurant; grilled local lamb; and braised venison. To complement these dishes, we enjoyed a bottle of Les Brugueres, a red wine that showcases the character of Priorat. With dessert (honey and goat's cheese, crema catalana, and nougat ice cream with caramelized nuts), we finished the meal with a sip of the Bosch family's reserve ratafia from Sant Quirze de Besora. Fausto and José have made their most personal spirit the perfect after-dinner drink.

Before strolling again through the cobbled streets of a high-altitude village built on beautiful yet rugged terrain, we spoke with Ferran from the restaurant, about Castellar de n'Hug, and its people. "We want to serve local or regional produce. The cabbage in the salad comes from our garden, and lamb is part of our history because a hundred years ago there were ten thousand sheep divided into thirteen or fourteen flocks. The most important were those of Cal Fanxicó and Cal Peremiquel. And I can also guarantee that the hunters..."

At the La Muntanya hostel you will find traditional finger-licking good dishes and exquisite service from a family that has been promoting local products and the virtues of Castellar de n'Hug and its villagers for many years.