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Colombia-born chef and restaurateur José Salazar has made a name for himself in the culinary world by crafting innovative dishes that fuse elements of Latin American and modern American cuisines.
The culinary style he introduced while serving as executive chef at Cincinnati’s historic Cincinnatian Hotel led to a 5-star review from The Cincinnati Enquirer as well as accolades from Food & Wine, a publication that named him “Best New Chef” in 2011. That success propelled him as he moved on to open two of Cincinnati’s most celebrated Latin-inspired restaurants: Salazar (which recently closed to make way for a new location set to debut in spring 2025) and Mita’s, the restaurant named after his Colombian grandmother (or “mita”) that was nominated for a James Beard Award in the Outstanding Restaurant Category in 2024.
(Click here to read more about Chef Salazar’s move to Cincinnati at elrestaurante.com.)
Here, Chef Salazar shares his recipe for Catalonian Canelones, one of his favorite holiday dishes, with el Restaurante readers
"Canelones are a traditional dish from the Catalonian region of Spain,” he explains. “They are usually served the day after Christmas. Historically, they were filled with leftover from the Christmas dinner — if people want to skip cooking the chicken, they can very easily be filled with left-over turkey, ham, mushrooms or whatever leftovers you may have. I love this dish because of its comfort factor and its versatility."
Catalonian Canelones
The Chicken Filling:
4 lbs. chicken legs, bone-in1 large onion, chopped4 garlic cloves, minced2 sprigs thyme, leaves only, reserve stems
1 c. parsley, chopped, reserve stems
1 c. dry Spanish white wine1 T. white wine vinegar4 c. chicken stock2 + 1 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Season chicken with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
In a large Dutch oven, brown chicken in 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Meanwhile, in a separate sauté pan, cook chopped onions and garlic until translucent in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and add fresh thyme leaves. Add salt and fresh black pepper to taste. Remove from heat and set aside.
Once chicken is browned, add white wine, cook for two minutes. Add chicken stock, reserved parsley and thyme stems. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or until chicken is tender and pulling away from the bone.
Remove chicken from liquid and shred the meat into a mixing bowl. Add cooked onions, garlic, and chopped parsley. Add a small amount of strained cooking liquid from the chicken. Mix in the white wine vinegar, mix well and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
The Bechamel Sauce:
½ gal. whole milk8 T. butter1 small onion, finely chopped
1 c. flour¼ t. nutmegSalt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Place butter in a medium saucepan over medium low heat, add chopped onions and cook for 2 minutes. Make a roux by adding the flour to the butter and onions. Cook over medium low heat for 3 to 4 minutes until the raw flour is cooked out. Whisk in the milk. Cook over medium heat until the mixture comes to a simmer and continue to cook for 5 more minutes. Add nutmeg and salt to taste. Remove from heat and cover.
The Canelones:
15 dried or frozen pasta sheets2 T. extra virgin olive oil
1⁄2 lb. manchego cheese, grated
1⁄4 lb. melted butterFreshly ground black pepper and fresh parsley, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 375° F.
Prepare pasta sheets according to the directions on the package. Cut the pasta sheets into 6x4-inch squares and lay out onto a flat work surface. Add 2 tablespoons of the chicken filling to each pasta sheet and roll like a cigar.
Add melted butter to a 9x13-inch baking sheet. Fill the pan with the rolled canelones and top with a generous amount of bechamel (it’s ok if you do not use all the bechamel). Top with grated manchego cheese. Bake for 15 minutes. Turn your oven to broil and cook for a couple more minutes or until bubbling and light brown. Finish with a few cracks of freshly ground black pepper and a sprinkling of fresh parsley, and drizzle 2 tablespoons of olive oil over the top.