How Tasty Was Majorca

The first time I went to Bodegas Mesquida, a little winery about 20 miles south of Palma, Majorca, I figured I’d fit the visit in on my way to a luncheon engagement. That was a mistake.

Along with an array of clean, bright wines, I was served several kinds of homemade sausage, some great country-style bread (from a local bakery whose wood-burning oven, I was told, dates from the 11th Century--yes, the 11th Century) and several kinds of confectionery, all characteristic of the island of Majorca, and all so good I couldn’t stop eating. I regretted this later when I sat down for my serious lunch.

The second time I visited, I thought I’d be smart and arranged to arrive after lunch, when I was already sated. Then, over Mesquida’s Blanc de Llagrima (50/50 blend of Chardonnay and Parellada), ever-better Cabernet Sauvignon and new, as yet unreleased, Merlot, there appeared plates of grilled herring with chopped grilled tomatoes, two varieties of the Majorcan specialty called frit (one a mix of finely chopped lamb’s offal with scallions, mushrooms and green peppers; the other made with slivers of pork, red peppers, garlic and potatoes), several kinds of local cheese and more of that bread. I couldn’t resist.

“Some day,” said proprietor Jaume Mesquida when I complimented him on this superb food, “you’ll have to come for a real meal.”

I did just that in February and discovered a whole world of Majorcan home cooking that I had previously known only by reputation.

There are a number of excellent restaurants on the Spanish island of Majorca, including a Michelin two-star called Tristan, but very few places that serve anything that could be considered traditional local food. In fact, anyone who’s ever traveled to Majorca and eaten in the usual tourist haunts would probably be surprised to learn that there’s any indigenous cooking worth bothering with. The typical mass-market restaurant fare tends towards greasy fried fish, desiccated rice casseroles and roasted chicken with limp and mushy French fries.

Real Majorcan cuisine, though, involves rich soups, complex stews, colorful salads, moist and flavorful rice dishes, beautiful fish and shellfish simply but effectively elaborated, earthy presentations of pork and offal, superb Majorcan lamb roasts. Almost everything is enhanced in one way or another with local vegetables, wild mushrooms and herbs.

The Mesquidas--Jaume, his Brazilian-born wife, Lucy, and his mother and father, Maria-Esther and Jaime (Jaume is the Mallorquin version of this common Castilian name), and his grandmother Masiana--live adjacent to the winery. Though it’s in the town of Porreras, the setting is semi-rural. One of the neighbors raises chickens and turkeys; another keeps three or four pigs; a third was planting olive saplings in a narrow stretch of orchard when I visited in February. The Mesquidas themselves have a large kitchen garden and a courtyard partially overgrown with herbs. They often keep live snails, collected among the vines, in a cage in the basement, to be used in some multi-ingredient soup or stew. And they love to show off Majorcan food.

The meal prepared for me by Maria-Esther and the family cook, Maria Toledo, with the help of Lucy and the advice of Masiana, included the following dishes (all given in Mallorquin, the local dialect of Catalan):

Coca De Prebes Torrats , a sort of Majorcan pizza, topped with roasted red peppers of remarkable sweetness. Arros Brut , literally “dirty rice”--a sort of soupy paella made with chicken, rabbit, pork shoulder and wild mushrooms, with short-grain rice added late in the cooking process. (Heroically scaled multi-ingredient “casserole” dishes of this sort are typical of Majorcan cuisine, and among its greatest treasures.) Sopa Torrada De Peix , Majorcan fish “soup”--technically not a soup at all (the word sopa means soup “sop,” something to soak up the juices), but a fish stew served over slices of grilled bread, with very little excess liquid. Peix Al Forn , or “fish in the oven”--a whole fish (in this case a paguera or sea bream) roasted on a bed of thinly sliced onions and potatoes and crusted with a wealth of local vegetables. Rostit Humit De Xai , a “wet” lamb roast, moistened with Sherry and brandy and cooked in a covered pan. And Greixonera De Brossat , a Majorcan cheesecake, traditionally made with a kind of cottage cheese called brossat.

Luckily, I had no plans to eat for, oh, at least three or four hours.

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COCA DE PREBES TORRATS (Roasted Sweet Red Pepper Pizza) 2 cups flour 2 tablespoons dry yeast, dissolved in warm water 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon lard 3/4 cup warm water, about 3 to 4 large sweet red peppers 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 to 4 sprigs Italian parsley, finely chopped Salt

Mix 2 cups flour together with dissolved yeast, oil and lard in large bowl, adding warm water gradually until dough is smooth and elastic. Coating palms of hands well with flour, knead 5 minutes and form into ball. Cover bowl and let rise 20 minutes.

While dough is rising, blacken peppers thoroughly on barbecue or gas grill or directly on gas flame of range or under broiler in electric oven. Allow peppers to cool slightly, then cut in 1/2 lengthwise (carefully, because moisture inside will still be hot). Flatten peppers on cutting board and scrape blackened skin off with sharp knife. Slice skinned peppers into thin strips.

When dough has risen, roll out on floured pastry board until very thin. Lightly oil flat baking dish or pizza pan. Shape dough into long rectangle or circle to fit. Scatter sweet red pepper slices, garlic and parsley over dough in baking dish or pizza pan, then season to taste with salt.

Bake at 400 degrees 5 minutes, then reduce heat to 300 degrees and cook until crust is browned and dough is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Makes 4 appetizer servings.

Each serving contains about: 275 calories; 78 mg sodium; 1 mg cholesterol; 5 grams fat; 49 grams carbohydrates; 7 grams protein; 0.49 gram fiber.

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Arros Brut should be thick but still soupy, with some liquid remaining--not dry like a paella or risotto.

ARROS BRUT (“Dirty Rice”) 1/4 cup olive oil 1 chicken, cut into 12 or more pieces 1 rabbit, cut into 12 or more pieces 1/2 pound pork shoulder, cut into small pieces, or 1/2 pound pork riblets Salt, pepper Mild paprika 2/3 pound short-grain (paella or risotto) rice 1 pound mushrooms, mixed wild mushrooms, if possible, and, if large, coarsely chopped 1/2 pound peas or green beans, cut into 2-inch lengths Juice of 1 lemon 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In cured earthenware casserole or other wide vessel no more than 3 inches deep, heat olive oil and brown chicken, rabbit and pork few pieces at time, transferring to platter as browned. Add more oil if necessary.

When meats are browned, return to casserole and season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika. Mix well. Fill casserole with water to barely cover meats. (If using earthenware casserole, be sure water is warm when added or casserole will crack.) Bring to boil and continue cooking at low boil until meats are done, about 30 minutes. Add more water if necessary.

Add rice, mushrooms and peas. Stir well, then return to boil. Reduce to medium heat and cook, covered, until rice is done, about 12 minutes.

Remove from stove and let stand 3 minutes. Stir in lemon juice and cinnamon. Makes 10 servings.

Each serving contains about: 403 calories; 124 mg sodium; 103 mg cholesterol; 23 grams fat; 16 grams carbohydrates; 32 grams protein; 0.88 gram fiber.

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SOPA TORRADA DE PEIX (Majorcan Fish Soup With Toasted Croutons) 1/2 pound firm country-style white or brown bread, cut into 1/4-inch slices 3 to 4 onions, chopped 2 medium leeks, white parts only, chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 3 to 4 sprigs parsley, finely chopped 2 tablespoons olive oil 6 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped 2 pounds assorted small fish (sardines, red mullet, sole, various rockfish) 12 to 16 prawns 1/4 pound Swiss chard, roughly chopped Salt, pepper Water

Toast bread slices on grill or in oven until just browned. Allow to dry well.

Meanwhile, in earthenware casserole or large pot, cook onions, leeks, garlic and parsley in olive oil over very low heat, stirring frequently, until vegetables are consistency of thick marmalade, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Add tomatoes, stir and cook 1/2 hour more.

Add fish, prawns, chard and season to taste with salt and pepper. Then add water to barely cover. Bring to full boil, then boil 2 minutes.

With slotted spoon and tongs, remove 2 to 3 large pieces of fish and set aside on plate. Remove skin and bones from larger pieces of fish and cut fish into bite-size pieces. With tongs, remove prawns and set aside with fish. Finally, with slotted spoon, remove most of vegetables and set aside with fish and prawns.

With potato masher or back of wooden spoon, crush remaining fish thoroughly, then sieve liquid into large bowl, discarding crushed fish and remaining vegetables. Return liquid to original casserole, then return fish pieces, prawns and vegetables to liquid. Heat through.

To serve, place slices of toasted bread at bottom of each individual soup bowl and ladle soup over. Makes 6 servings.

Each serving contains about: 371 calories; 402 mg sodium; 82 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 36 grams carbohydrates; 32 grams protein; 1.92 grams fiber.

PEIX AL FORN (Majorcan Baked Fish) 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 to 3 onions, thinly sliced 1 pound potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices Salt, pepper Mild paprika 1 (6- to 7-pound) fish (sea bass, bream, grouper, etc.) 8 paper-thin slices lemon, halved 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced 1 jalapeno chile, cut lengthwise into 8 slices, seeded and ribs removed, optional 4 sprigs fennel, optional 1 bunch parsley, coarsely chopped 2 medium leeks, white parts only, coarsely chopped 6 to 8 green onions, coarsely chopped 1/2 pound spinach, coarsely chopped 1/2 pound Swiss chard, coarsely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped 2 egg whites, lightly beaten 2 to 3 tablespoons bread crumbs

Oil large roasting pan, preferably earthenware or glass, with olive oil. Cover bottom of pan with onion slices. Distribute potato slices evenly on top of onions. Season to taste with salt, pepper and paprika. At equal intervals along 1 side of fish, cut slits into fish, down to but not through bone. Into each slit place pieces of lemon, garlic slices, jalapeno and fennel. Place fish in pan, diagonally if necessary.

In large bowl combine parsley, leeks, green onions, spinach, chard, chopped garlic and salt, pepper and paprika to taste. Cover fish and potatoes with vegetables, pressing vegetables against fish so as to take its form. Brush egg whites over top of vegetables (reserve egg yolks for another use). Sprinkle with bread crumbs to taste.

Cover vegetables with foil. Bake fish at 400 degrees until done, about 1 hour. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Each of 6 servings contains about: 500 calories; 381 mg sodium; 290 mg cholesterol; 11 grams fat; 27 grams carbohydrates; 70 grams protein; 1.71 grams fiber.

ROSTIT HUMIT DE XAI (Pot-Roasted Lamb Shoulder) 1 (2 1/2-pound) shoulder or leg of lamb 5 cloves garlic, halved lengthwise 5 bay leaves Salt, pepper 2 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons brandy 1 cup dry Sherry 2 onions, thinly sliced

Make about 5 long crosswise slits about 2 inches at equal intervals across top of lamb. Place 2 garlic halves and 1 bay leaf in each slit. Season lamb to taste with salt and pepper.

Heat olive oil in heavy roasting pan and brown lamb well, turning carefully with tongs so that garlic and bay leaves do not fall out. Sprinkle lamb with brandy and Sherry. Scatter onion slices over lamb.

Cover pan and roast lamb at 275 degrees 40 minutes. Remove cover, raise heat to 475 degrees and cook 10 minutes more. Serve with roasted potatoes. Makes 4 servings.

Each serving contains about: 353 calories; 185 mg sodium; 108 mg cholesterol; 14 grams fat; 6 grams carbohydrates; 35 grams protein; 0.3gram fiber.

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GREIXONERA DE BROSSAT (Majorcan Cheesecake) 4 Holland rusk dried toasts Milk 10 ounces ricotta 4 eggs, well beaten Grated zest 1/2 lemon 1/2 cup sugar Dash cinnamon 1 teaspoon lard or shortening

Soak Holland rusks in enough milk to barely cover, about 20 minutes. Drain off liquid.

Mix rusks, ricotta, eggs, lemon zest, sugar and cinnamon well in large bowl.

Lightly grease 12-inch round baking dish with lard. Pour in mixture.

Bake at 400 degree, about 30 minutes or until cooked through and lightly browned on top. Watch carefully so that it doesn’t burn. Cheesecake is done when wood pick inserted into center comes out clean. Makes 8 servings.

Each serving contains about: 215 calories; 96 mg sodium; 128 mg cholesterol; 9 grams fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 9 grams protein; 0.03 gram fiber.