The taste of Mallorca
Part One
The Soller Valley is home to many traditional Mallorquin dishes. Local Sollerics have very strong views on which restaurant serves the best home made dishes. The competition for the finest thin crackling on the Roast Pork/Lechona dish is fierce. As for the correct way to serve Arroz Brut it remains a secret which the greatest local chefs simply will not share. If you thought that the best Cannelloni in the world was served in Italy, please think again. The Mallorquin version has been delighting the palette since the 19th century.
With the help of my friends at the Majorca Daily Bulletin the following is a run down of some of the most authentic local Mallorquin dishes. We have fine chefs in the Soller Valley and they are always looking for a new original approach to their art. However even they have to admit but many people want the old recipes of familiar much loved comfort dishes. These dishes appear frequently on local menus together with the 2015 addiditions.
Lechona
Roast suckling pig with a crisp golden skin. Very thin crackling and tender meat. Used as a celebration dish where whole piglets are sold at the supermarket. Smaller pieces are on sale the rest of the year for Sunday roasts.
Cordero
Young lamb is used for this traditional dish and it is the shoulder that is prized. The cooking method is slow and long and Mallorcan lamb is never served pink.
Berenjenas Rellenas
Stuffed aubergines with the traditional mince, tomato and cheese topping.
Frito Mallorquin
Lamb or suckling pig’s offal is used to make this dish. Cut up small and fried slowly with chips or diced potatoes. The taste is best enjoyed with the innards of young animals.
Arroz Brut
The literal translation of this dish is ‘dirty rice’. It is a liquid dish of rice, meat, chicken and game. It is the game that turns the dish brown looking and gives it the name. Tureens of this are brought to the table and served. One restaurant portion usually serves at least two people.
Canelones
The Cannelloni of Mallorca has been in existence since the 19th century and local cooks pride themselves on their pasta and mince mixtures.
Escaldums
A chicken stew in a thick sauce made with ground almonds. This is a part of the traditional Christmas cookery of the area.
Lengua con Alcaparras
Ox or Pigs tongue served in a smooth savoury sauce and capers. Mallorquin capers are considered the best in Spain and the smallest have the most flavour.
Sobrassada
Cured meat of Mallorca which is made of finely minced pork with paprika stuffed into pig skin. Sobrasada appears inside empanadas, spread on bread, used in pasta dishes and eated with fried and scrambled eggs.
Setas or Wild Mushrooms
Look out for the rare esclatasang which is equivalent to the French cepe or the Italian porchini mushroom. Autumn and winter gives Mallorca its mushroom feast days.
Trempo
The kitchen salad of the Mallorquin home served everywhere. Green peppers, onions and tomatoes are chopped finely and served on their own or with tuna. The dressing is olive oil and lemon juice
Look out for all these dishes on traditional menus in restaurants in the Soller Valley. Each kitchen does its own version of these dishes and it is worth comparing them. A gastronomic feast awaits you as you savour the cooking traditions of the past.
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