Mallorca

"A type of wild mushroom called esclata-sangs is a dish for the wealthy in autumn. These mushrooms are not abundant, a reason explaining the preceding. They’re generally prepared in several ways, the most common being fried with parsley, breadcrumbs and lemon juice. They’re also fried in lard, accompanying chops or peppers.

The most varied of vegetables find their fit in Mallorcan cuisine. Towards the end of summer and the start of autumn, eggplants/aubergines (albergínies) are favored. They’re frequently cut length-wise into two halves and stuffed with parsley, breadcrumbs and oil and then baked in the oven. At other times, the pulp is scooped out of the halves and then stuffed with a mixture consisting of that pulp, bread, some pork, flour, egg yolks and some milk and then baked in the oven. They are also cooked in thin slices, with tomato, some broth, parsley and garlic or with a bit of vinegar, parsley and oil.

Artichokes (carxofes) abound in spring. They’re typically fried with breadcrumbs, parsley and salt or boiled in a pot with parsley, onion, salt and some bay leaves. Another way of cooking them is cut in pieces, breaded with egg whites, breadcrumbs and salt and then quickly fried in a pan.

Another extremely popular dish is carabassons farcits (stuffed zucchini/courgette). They’re cut into two longitudinal halves, the pulp is extracted and a mixture is made, including lard, flour, some milk and finely chopped onion. The halves are stuffed then sprinkled with breadcrumbs and then drizzled with oil before being put in the oven. They’re also cooked stuffed with lamb, or with eggs.

Also highly celebrated are the pastanagues ofegades: the carrots are carefully cleaned and peeled; at the same time, onions, garlic and red pepper (pebre vermell) are lightly fried. The carrots are then added, previously sliced, along with raisins, pine nuts and salt. When nearly half done, you add a bit of vinegar and cover the pot with a bowl full of water. Every now and then the pot is removed from the heat and shaken. Bledes ofegades are cooked the same way: the chard leaves are cooked in water and later with garlic, raisins and some paprika.

Particularly appreciated at dinner are the so-called sopes amb sofrit. Small onions (grells) or larger cut ones, along with garlic and parsley are put in the greixonera (“casserole dish”) and lightly fried, complemented with tomato. Water is added later and brought to a boil. The pot is covered with a lid and immediately taken off the heat. It’s left to rest some time until the bread has absorbed all the liquid.

Even more famous are the sopes amb col which all the classes enjoy all year long and since time immemorial. They are commonly the main dish at dinner, and its eventual disappearance produces not little disappointment. Its preparation is more or less similar to sopes amb sofrit, the only difference being that a more or less large quantity of cabbage pieces are added at the end. If we use cauliflower instead, its not added to the fried vegetables but to the greixonera when the water begins to boil and just before adding the slices of bread.

Another variant is known as sopes escaldades for which you have the fried vegetables (sofrit) heated lightly. When the water added begins to boil, all is placed in a plate on top of dry bread slices. Previously, some cauliflower will have been added to the sofrit; in some cases the same sofrit is enriched with more portions of onion, garlic, parsley and tomato."

Archduke Ludwig Salvator of Austria. Las Baleares por la palabra y el grabado. Majorca: General Part. Ed. Sa Nostra, Caja de Baleares. Palma de Mallorca. 1982.