MENORCAN CUISINE YESTERDAY AND TODAY UNDISCOVERED RECIPES MENORCAN CUISINE YESTERDAY AND TODAY UNDISCOVERED RECIPES Production, layout and design: Lagencia MENORCAN CUISINE YESTERDAY AND TODAY

Texts: UNDISCOVERED RECIPES 4Vents

Ancient recipes provided by: Maria Borrás and Cati Irla Borrás

Photographs Arxiu d’Imatge i So de Menorca-CIMe:

Author: Salvador Almirall Codina AISM. Salvador Almirall Codina Collection p. 6, 14 Unknown author AISM. Anastasia Espinosa Collection p. 10 Author: Jaume Riudavets AISM. Jaume Riudavets Collection p. 18 Unknown author AISM. Xavier Martín Collection p. 40 Unknown author AISM. Consell Insular de Menorca Collection p. 68

Published by: Fundació Destí Menorca

D.L. ME 281 - 2013 INTRODUCTION, 7

01 ENTREE RECIPES

STUFFED COURGETTES, 21 OVEN-BAKED STUFFED COURGETTES, 23

“OLIAIGUA AMB FIGUES”, 25 “OLIAIGUA” WITH FIG SORBET, BREAD RING AND OLIVE OIL GUMDROPS, 27

LOBSTER STEW, 29 LOBSTER STEW, 31

STUFFED AUBERGINES, 33 AUBERGINES STUFFED WITH VEGETABLES AND ‘PEROL’ CASSEROLE MEAT, 35

“PEROL DE TOMÀTIC”, 37 “PEROL DE TOMÀTIC”, 39

02 MAIN COURSE RECIPES FISH

OVEN-BAKED SKATE WITH POTATOES, 43 MENORCAN-STYLE OVEN-BAKED SKATE, 45

STUFFED SQUID, 47 STUFFED SQUID, 49

COD WITH “BURRIDA”, 51 COD WITH “BURRIDA”, 53

MEAT

PARTRIDGE WITH CABBAGE, 57 PARTRIDGE DUMPLINGS, 59

RABBIT IN SAUCE, 61 RABBIT TERRINE WITH VEGETABLE SAUCE, 63

ROAST LEG OF LAMB, 65 SLOW ROAST “ANYELL DE LLET (LAMB) WITH POTATO AND BLACK OLIVE PUREE, 67

04 DESSERTS

“MENJAR BLANC”, 71 MENJAR BLANC, 73

UPDATED VERSION “CUSCUSSÓ”, 75 CUSCUSSÓ, 77

“BROSSAT” PUDDING, 79 ‘BROSSAT’ PUDDING, 81

“COCA DE CONGRET”, 83 APRICOT SOUP WITH “COCA DE CONGRET”, 85 TRADITIONAL RECIPE INTRODUCtIoN

Menorca is an island blessed with many gifts. Magnificent beaches, little coves that are tucked away and bathed by crystal clear waters, a mild climate that provides lush green fields and cooling forests, a special light that enhances the landscapes, and towns, villages and cities which have retained their charm over the centuries. Visitors and local alike experience and enjoy this.

These natural gifts combine with the ingeniousness of its inhabitants to shape tradi- tional cuisine which has been handed down orally through the generations and which encapsulates the essence of this land: the simplicity and character of a people without great pretensions who know how to enjoy life and the fruits of nature. This is all concentrated into each dish, each mouthful, and it should be experienced; you’ll be amazed.

These days it is easier, as the gastronomy of Menorca has become fashionable. For a time, the influence of international cuisine and the social trend towards homogeneity meant that it was, to a certain degree, only really served in the homes of the “menor- quines”. Within the home, the people maintained their taste for traditional dishes, made using seasonal produce and following the calendar of annual feast days and celebrations with their corresponding dishes. It was enjoyed by families and at gathe- rings of friends at home, as if it were a privilege reserved for the locals only.

However, in recent years, the island’s cuisine has been restored to glory and is served at the finest restaurants. Cuisine is a talking point, it is promoted at gastronomic events that focus on specific products, recognised with quality seals and trust marks, and updated with modern techniques and exotic ingredients.

It has regained the prestige deserved by a cuisine that, as straightforward and simple as it might seem, is simply great. As authors and academics have pointed out, inclu- ding Jaume Fàbrega and Carme Puigvert in their book La cuina de Menorca, behind its apparent humbleness lie many touches of refinement from the great mediaeval gastronomic culture of the Mediterranean and Catalonia, punctuated in this case by an underlying bed of Arabic or Berber influences and by the marks left by other colo- nising cultures.

As an island, Menorca’s limited resources and historic periods of scarcity have shaped the nature of its gastronomy. For centuries, the island’s cuisine was largely subsis- tence-based, making the most of foods from the land and sea. In this case, simplicity is a virtue, because it combines all the knowledge of peasant farmer families, fishermen and the other inhabitants who adapted the everyday and festive dishes

9 INTRODUCtIoN INTRODUCtIoN available to them. Scarcity forced the imagination to work overtime to create outs- a very prominent recipe in the island’s gastronomy and, as Pedro Ballester explained tanding dishes. in his book De re cibaria –the first cook book published in Menorca, dating from 1923–, it was usually eaten in the days after the pigs were slaughtered, served with The versatility and use of certain products can be seen, for example, with bread, one pieces of meat, part of the animal’s head and two whole bulbs of garlic, as well as of the most basic foodstuffs. In days gone by there were many different kinds of potato or sweet potato. In spite of the pork meat used (which might have been a bread and indeed there still are today. It is served with all kinds of dishes and is the later introduction), some authors consider that, owing to the way in which the dish basis for both sweet and savoury recipes, as well as being the main ingredient in is prepared (baked in the oven, like a dry rice dish), and the basic ingredient of breakfasts and light suppers together with the island’s cheese and cured meats. And semolina, are also rooted in Islamic domination. when it goes hard, it is still used and useful, since toasted slices of bread are mixed with soups (the most characteristic one being oliaigua) and stews, or breadcrumbs And if the English influence can be clearly detected in Menorca’s linguistic and are used to top all kinds of dishes which are baked in the oven. architectural peculiarities, as well as certain customs of the islanders, it can also be felt in its cuisine. It is clear in certain ways of cooking (using butter, which is very And when there were no means of cooking, the people had to be creative. An rare in these parts), in foods and drinks (the leading exponent being Menorcan gin) example of this is a recipe for soup that can be made without a saucepan, water or a and in many of the words and culinary terms that hark back to the English stove. Luis Ripoll, in Libro de cocina menorquina, describes the solution found, of language. There are several examples, although some of them are rarely used or putting meat and vegetables in a covered pumpkin which was then placed in the only heard among the older generations: grevi (from the English gravy) which is oven. used in the recipe ‘macaroni and gravy’; xenc (shank), the front of an animal’s leg, where the meat is used in brou de xenc or beef broth; pinxa (from pilchard), which Naturally, on such a small island, the sea has been a permanent presence in the lives is used a great deal in coques; píquels (pickles); xels (shell), cockles; punys (punch) and of its inhabitants and also on their tables. Excellent shellfish such asescopinyes sengri (sangaree), a hot or spiced wine. (cockles), crustaceans such as the famous lobster, and a wide range of oily, white and rock fish provide the basic ingredients for numerous dishes. In fact, many It is particularly interesting to note the formation of certain words, such as a variety recipes were created by sailors themselves who, when they would go fishing, would of plum which is known on the island as neversó. This is a phonetic adaptation of take a pan, a stove, charcoal, water and vegetables with them to make the fish stews the English expression never saw. Legend has it that during his stay on the island, and rice dishes that have become so renowned today right out in the middle of the the English governor Richard Kane tasted one of these fruits and exclaimed: “I sea. never saw such plums”. And the name stuck. Their fondness for puddings, with come in a wide variety and are made using all kinds of ingredients, as well as the popularity of conserves and preserves are other Influences that leave a trace remnants of this era. Set against the backdrop of Mediterranean cuisine, with common denominators that link it to surrounding areas, Menorca has its own gastronomic peculiarities thanks to the legacies left by other cultures that colonised the island, from the Unique specialities Arabs who remained there for four centuries, to the three brief but significant Cheese periods of English rule and, to a lesser extent, the French domination. The island’s wide gastronomic variety also encompasses a series of culinary products Cuscussó is the dish, which, both in name and preparation, harks back most strongly which offer outstanding quality and have garnered international recognition. to the Arabic culture. It is a typical Menorcan sweet, which is eaten at Christmas and is made from dry bread, almonds, sugar and lard, as well as raisins and glacéd One of the maximum exponents is the Mahón-Menorca Denomination of Origin fruits. It is still made in the traditional way in homes and patisserie shops following cheese, made from cow’s milk with a unique taste and peculiar square shape. Some the Arabic method for making marzipan. Arròs de la terra, also known as Moorish findings suggest cheese was already made on the island in the prehistoric age. In the rice, is a dish that, despite the name, is not made with rice but with semolina. It is 13th Century, cheese, wines and meats were made and exported in large quantities,

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but trade truly flourished in the 18th century, with four boats dedicated exclusively to transporting cheese which set sail from the port of Maó to distribute these goods at ports all around the western Mediterranean. And so it became known as “cheese from the port of Mahón” and shortened to the name of “Mahón cheese”, even though it is made throughout the island.

Milk and the cheese it is made from are still the main source of earnings in the Menorcan countryside. It comes in three varieties based on the level of ripeness or maturity: tierno (mild, matured for between three weeks and two months), with a mild flavour and ivory white in colour;semicurado (medium, matured between two and five months), which is orange in colour and more salty in flavour; andcurado (mature, for over five months), with a darker exterior colour, yellow on the inside, and a strong tangy flavour. There is alsoañejo extra mature cheese, which is matured for a year and is saltier in flavour. On the whole, a versatile cheese with multiple uses in gastronomy and which is served as an aperitif, as the basis or accompaniment for dishes and desserts, or eaten with bread or simply with grapes or other fruit, a favourite combination among the people of Menorca.

Cured meats and charcuterie

The island is also home to a rich variety of cured meats and charcuterie. The cele- bration known as porquejades, when the pigs are slaughtered to make these specia- lities, is one of the most typical customs in Menorca. This is a festivity involving family and friends where the animal was slaughtered and all the meat and entrails were used to ensure sufficient provisions, and to make cured meats and charcuterie. Once all the work is done and their food has gone down, they would also sing popular songs or glosat, improvised sung verse about current affairs.

Although the porquejades is now a modernised festivity, the cured meats and char- cuterie made on the island are still delicious. Carn i xulla is the most characteristic cured meat, since it is only made in Menorca and dates back to ancient Roman charcuterie. It is raw cured sausage made with lean meat and fat. Here we also find the famous Sobrasada, a raw cured sausage flavoured with spicy paprika, which comes in the varieties ‘tierna’ (soft) and ‘curada’ (mature). The typical charcuterie of Menorca also includes botifarró (minced meat mixed with blood, if it is a black sausage, or without blood if it is white botifarró) and camot (also known as cuixot or

12 13 INTRODUCtIoN INTRODUCtIoN camaiot), made using similar ingredients to botifarró but which is encased in the contrast between sweet and savoury flavours that is so widely used in the island’s skin of the pig’s thigh, rather than using the gut. gastronomy is even seen in vegetable recipes such as aubergines with honey.

Mayonnaise Soups: from lobster stew to ‘oliaigo’

Mayonnaise is undoubtedly the most famous and widely consumed Menorcan The most emblematic dish of the island’s modern cuisine is a stew made using the product in the world, the essential sauce that accompanies numerous international delicious lobster found around Menorca. In spite of their fame, using lobsters in dishes and recipes. stews is relatively modern, and they were used very infrequently a century ago. It was invented by fishermen and local cooks, and established restaurants such as A relation of aioli, mayonnaise is made with oil, egg, salt and vinegar or lemon those in Fornells have improved the recipe, making it practically a ‘must try’ when juice. It is said that following the French invasion of the island in 1756, the Duke visiting the island. The name ‘caldereta’ refers to the container used to prepare it, of Richelieu entered an inn one evening for something to eat and, because there was although it is made in a fired earthenware receptacle ortià de terra, with a mixture hardly any food, the owner served him some leftover meat accompanied by this of vegetables grown locally, around 500 grams of lobster per person and very finely sauce. The Duke thought it was so delicious that he took the recipe to France where slices of toast. The people of Menorca love their ‘calderetas’ (stews), although they it became known as mahonnaise, as a tribute to the city of Maó. Over time, the are reserved for high days and holidays. Many even enjoy a fish or shellfish caldereta name gradually changed to mayonnaise, which led to confusion and pointed to a just as much if not more than a lobster stew. possible French origin, although it should be noted that this sauce did not appear in However, if the cuisine of Menorca could be summarised in a single dish, that any treatises on French cuisine prior to the conquest of Menorca. would very probably be oliaigua (pronounced ‘oliaigo’), a soup of peasant origin, Mayonnaise is a very popular sauce on the island and appears in numerous recipes. very humble in comparison with the caldereta but with a tradition that survives It is made at home and one of the main uses is as an accompaniment to broiled fish. today and it is made more frequently than the lobster stew in the home. Families will often eat oliaigua in summer, when the vegetables grown on the island are bursting with flavour, served with toasted hard bread and the sweet and refreshing Honey flavour of figs. The most basic recipe is made with tomatoes, onion, garlic, green pepper, oil and water (oli i aigua: oliaigua), but a great number of variations on this The honey of Menorca has been famed for many centuries, and the Roman author recipe can be found: oliaigua broix (without tomato but with the same other basic Pliny stated that it was the second best honey in the world, after Greek honey. In ingredients), with cabbage, white (made with milk), with egg, with asparagus... the 14th Century, the King asked for honey from the island and there is documen- tation about the jars of honey that were sent to him. The wide variety of country flowers growing in Menorca give the honey produced here a delicious and refined Gin flavour which is still highly valued today. Honey collecting is a major pastime here, mainly from private beehives but also from natural hives found in caves, on cliffs, This spirit, which was introduced here by the British, is extremely popular among the people of Menorca. The gin that is made today in Maó follows a traditional and in the rafters of some homes... process, made in old copper stills heated over log fires, distilling grape alcohol Traditionally it has been used extensively as a food, for medicinal purposes or (unlike English or Dutch gin which is made using alcohol from cereals), flavoured mixed with wine. Some of the most popular recipes are Sobrasada sausage with with juniper berries and herbs. Although it is drunk all year round, consumption honey, mild chees with honey and mel i mantega (honey with cooked beef lard and shoots up during the summer festivities. The most popular drink, served very cold, chunks of hard bread), a dessert that was typically eaten on All Saints Day. The is pomada or gin amb llimonada, which mixes one part gin with two parts lemo-

14 15 INTRODUCtIoN INTRODUCtIoN

nade. Other variations are gin and soda (known as pellofa), gin and palo (a liqueur from Mallorca) or just drinking it neat served in a small glass.

Wine The wine of Menorca was highly prized even in Roman and Phoenician times, and continued to be right up to the 19th Century, when the vines were gradually aban- doned following the destruction of the crops by pests. Following an almost cursory presence after this destruction, in recent years work has begun to recover wine production and there are currently several wineries selling high quality white, rosé and red wine under the label ‘Vi de la terra Illa de Menorca’.

Confectionery and Patisserie The island’s repertoire of savoury and sweet pastries, tarts, cakes, puddings and other desserts is fabulous, one of the most extensive and varied in Spain. Menorcans have a very sweet tooth, as reflected in the wide variety of sweet dishes available, made using premium quality ingredients (from flour to cheese and fruit), and using largely artisan techniques when made at home and in the patisseries. An interesting fact about this passion for patisserie is mentioned by J.M. Pons Muñoz in the book Menorca y su gastronomía: in the year 1887, Menorca had 40 patissiers located throughout the island, and three chocolate makers with their own shop; there was, however, only one dentist. The tradition for confectionery and patisserie stretches back a long way, adopting elements of Muslim culture, blended and improved through contributions from Catalonia, Britain and France. Recipes have been faithfully passed down through the generations and were prepared according to the calendar of annual festivities: greixeres for the Carnival, formatjades at Easter, ensaimadas served with drinking chocolate during the patron saint celebrations of the summer, buñuelos on All Saints Day, and tortada, nougat and cuscussó at Christmas. Nowadays, these delica- cies can be found at any time of the year. To name just a few, in terms of savoury pastries, there is a wide variety of coques (a kind of bread pastry covered with different toppings, vegetables, meat, fish, fruit and even sobrasada sausage), meat or fishrubiols (kind of oven-baked pasty), sobrea- sada sausage rolls, flaons (pastry filled with cheese and egg),formatjades (pastry with meat, sobrasada sausage...), etc. As for sweet pastries, the selection includes amargos (with almonds and egg), carquinyols (also with almonds but with a dry pastry), pastissets (shaped into flowers),crespellines (dry, small and firm pastries),

16 17 INTRODUCtIoN INTRODUCtIoN crespells (also in the shape of flowers but with a hole in the middle and filled with previously soaked in milk and then baked in the oven), wild rabbits, thrush, ducks, cottage cheese, fruit preserves, sobrasada sausage...), filledensaimada and coca partridges, quails and pigeons. bamba or ensaimada from Menorca (where the pastry has risen more and is more In terms of subsistence cooking, the people of Menorca have always used all the spongy, usually dipped into hot or cold drinking chocolate). natural resources available to them, but they have also enjoyed doing so, even today. Indeed, throughout the year, people can often be seen gathering mushrooms in the forest, picking asparagus that grow beside the road, collecting snails, wild blackbe- Basic ingredients rries, aromatic herbs and capers (which are highly prized). Menorca abounds in vegetables, which have shaped many of its recipes. The star vegetable is the aubergine, used widely during the summer months, as well as toma- Technique toes, peppers, onions, garlic, potatoes, courgettes and pumpkins, cabbages, spinach, peas, lettuce, endive, artichoke, cucumber... The island’s gastronomy displays a predilection for cooking in the oven. The oven was once an important place on every farmstead (they were separate constructions Traditionally, the vast array of fruits available here was magnificent, although some located outdoors), used to prepare all kinds of dishes, as well as to bake bread and of them have been lost over time: over thirty varieties of apple, the same again of make pastries. Nowadays, the oven is an essential appliance in the homes of pears, figs (figues flor, negretes, catalanes, coll de dama...), plums and apricots. It is Menorcan families and is still used to bake and roast, in earthenware dishes or on also home to deliciously juicy grapes, peaches, citrus fruits, melons and waterme- trays, vegetables (tomato, aubergine, courgette...) and meat or fish, generally lons, pumpkins and nuts. covered in breadcrumbs, garlic and parsley.

The islanders have always been very fond of pulses and grains, mainly their famous Other widely used techniques are boiling (for vegetables), soups, stews, as well as habas beans but also judías beans, chick peas (including the guixons variety), lentils the aforementioned oliaigues (almost always with sautéed vegetables as a base); and wheat grains (arròs de la terra). frying (especially fish andraoles , a kind of croquette), and griddling or flame grilling. As mentioned previously, the long seafaring culture of this island has created sublime dishes with quality ingredients such as cockles and other molluscs, a wide variety of crustaceans (lobsters, crayfish, prawns, crabs, spider crabs...), squid and octopus. Fish (rock, white, oily, ray...) is present in its dishes in the form of monkfish, hake, sardines, grouper, sea pike, john dory, dolphin fish, red mullet and skate, among others.

However, meat also plays an important role. Traditionally, lamb and mutton have been eaten here (since Menorca has its own breed of sheep), along with pork (which, as well as meat and charcuterie, also provides lard), foul (chicken, turkey...) and rabbit. Cows provide meat but also dairy products which are so characteristic of the island, and there are mainly two breeds reared here: Holstein, the majority, and a native species to Menorca, which is reddish in colour.

It also has a number of recipes for game. Throughout history, there have been numerous prohibitions and conditions placed on hunting (it is still heavily regu- lated today), yet there is still a fondness for this pursuit, and people catch woodcock (used in cega amb cóc, where the woodcock is served in bread that has been

18 19 01 ENTREE RECIPES TRADITIONAL RECIPE

STUFFED COURGETTES

ingredients 8 small courgettes 1 onion 2 cloves of garlic 2 ripe tomatoes, peeled and grated 2 eggs 6 tbsp. of breadcrumbs parsley salt oil preparation Slice the courgettes lengthwise down the middle, and boil in salted water over a high heat for 10 minutes. Remove and leave them to drain face down so they lose some of their juice. When they have cooled, scoop out the pulp with a spoon and set to one side, leaving the skin of the courgettes like little boats. Chop the onion and garlic, and gently fry in a pan over a low heat. Add the grated tomatoes and a little chopped parsley. Cook for a little while longer and then add in the courgette pulp, stirring so that it disintegrates. Season to taste. Remove from the heat and mix in two beaten eggs and some breadcrumbs until it takes on the consistency of a paste. Heat the oven to 160 degrees whilst you fill the courgette boats with the mixture and arrange them on a tray. Then sprinkle the rest of the breadcrumbs over the top and drizzle over a little oil. Bake the courgettes for around 30 minutes.

23 UPDATED VERSION OVEN-BAKED STUFFED COURGETTES

Preparation Ingredients Using a slicer, cut 2mm thick slices along the length of a 2 courgettes (one to be large courgette. Blanch them in water and reserve. sliced and the other for the stuffing) Gently fry the onion, green pepper and garlic together. 1 onion When they are soft, add the tomato and the other finely 1 green pepper chopped courgette. Then add a mixture of chopped garlic 1 red tomato and parsley, and cook for a further minute. 1 clove of garlic Reserve this mixture, and meanwhile prepare some mashed 3 medium sized potatoes potato and add cream to make it more liquid. 100 cl of cream Make a cross with two slices of courgette, and place a A pre-prepared mixture couple of spoonfuls of the vegetable mix in the centre. Fold of breadcrumbs, parsley, garlic, paprika and oil the ends over to make a little parcel. Do the same with the other slices and then sprinkle the mixture of breadcrumbs, oil garlic, parsley, paprika and oil over the parcels, then bake in salt the oven for 10 minutes. To serve, draw a line of creamed potato in the middle and place two courgette parcels on top. Garnish with a little oil and parsley.

Doro Biurrum

25 TRADITIONAL RECIPE

“OLIAIGUA AMB FIGUES” “Oliaigua” with figs

ingredients 1 kg ripe tomatoes 1 green pepper 1 large onion 4 cloves of garlic 1 small bunch of parsley 1 litre of water 5 tbsp. of olive oil slices of bread for soup or toasted bread salt figs

preparation Chop the tomatoes, pepper, onion and garlic into medium sized chunks. Pour the oil into an earthenware pot and, over a low heat, add the vegetables with the chopped parsley, season with salt and gently fry until soft. Stir continually and add a little water to prevent the vegetables from sticking. When the vegetables are soft, add the litre of water and keep over a low heat so it gradually heats up. It should not be allowed to boil. When a white foam begins to form on the top, remove the pot from the heat and leave to rest while you peel the figs. To serve, you can line the bottom of a bowl with a few slices of bread and pour the soup over the top, or you can serve the bread separately so that each person can add as much as they like to their soup. It is then eaten together with the figs, enjoying the contrast between the hot savoury flavour of the soup and the cold sweet fruit.

27 UPDATED VERSION “OLIAIGUA” WITH FIG SORBET, BREAD RING AND OLIVE OIL GUMDROPS

Ingredients Preparation for the ‘oliaigua’: In a pan, gently fry the chopped garlic, onion, parsley and green pepper in the oil. Season and add a little water to help 1 clove of garlic the ingredients soften and not turn brown. When they are 2 sprigs of parsley soft, add the tomatoes and cook over a very low heat with 1 onion the pan covered, for 30 minutes. Then pour in a couple of ½ kg of tomatoes on the cups of water and add salt. Cook for a further 30 minutes, vine making sure it does not come to the boil. Then blend the 1 medium green pepper soup or push it through a sieve, and add any salt needed. ½ cup olive oil Make a syrup using the water and sugar. Add the figs and salt blend. When it has cooled, pour into a sorbet maker and reserve. for the fig sorbet: With the aid of a slicer, slice the baguette lengthwise into 250 g peeled ripe figs fine slices. Line metal rings, about 8 cm in diameter, which 300 ml mineral water have been previously oiled, and bake in the oven at 180º 100 g sugar until they are golden. When they are ready, take them out of the oven and remove them from the rings very carefully for the bread ring: so as not to break them. 1 uncooked baguette To make the olive oil gumdrop, heat the water together with the glucose and the isomalt sugar to 90 degrees. After five for the olive oil gumdrop: minutes, add the gelatine sheet, which you have previously 200 g cold pressed olive oil hydrated, and form an emulsion between this mixture and the oil, which you then pour very slowly into a blender jug. 100 ml mineral water When it is ready, pour the mixture onto a sheet or into 80 g sugar a mould and leave to set in the fridge. Then just cut the 100 g isomalt sugar resulting jelly into 1 cm chunks. 20 g glucose To serve, pour the ‘oliaigua’ into a soup bowl using a small 1 sheet of gelatine jug. Place the fig sorbet on a plate, together with the bread ring and the olive oil gumdrops.

Daniel González Mora

29 TRADITIONAL RECIPE

LOBSTER STEW ingredients 2 kg lobster 2 onions 2 cloves of garlic 1/2 green pepper 250 g tomatoes 1 bunch of parsley 7 tbsp. of olive oil 1.5 litres of water slices of bread for soup or toasted bread salt preparation Cut the live lobsters into two on a wooden chopping board, separating the head from the tails; reserve the juices in a separate bowl. Split open the body and remove the black intestines using your hands or one of its feelers or antennae. Remove the legs and other feelers. For female lobsters, place the eggs in the bowl, and do the same with the stomachs and livers. Finally, cut the heads in half down the middle, and cut the bodies into slices, making sure to save all the juices. Finely chop the onion, garlic and green pepper. Place the oil in an earthenware pot and gently fry the vegetables over a low heat. When the onion is translucent, add the very finely diced tomatoes (or they can be grated or blended). Cook over a very low heat for around 10 minutes. Place the lobsters in the pot and leave to cook a little. Then add the juices, water and chopped parsley, season with salt and cook over a high heat for 15 minutes. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and cook for a further half an hour. Meanwhile, grind the lobster eggs, stomachs and livers in a pestle and mortar with a little garlic and parsley, adding the rest of the liquids and a little water to moisten the mixture. When there are just a few minutes’ cooking time left, add the mixture to the pot. Turn the stove off and leave the stew to rest for at least two hours. In fact, it will be much tastier if made the day before eating. To serve, pour the broth with the lobster pieces into soup bowls, with slices of toast.

31 UPDATED VERSION LOBSTER STEW

Preparation ingredients Cut the lobsters into two, separating the head from the 2 kg lobster tails, and reserve the juices, livers and eggs of any female 400 g onion lobsters. Cut the heads into even sized chunks. Peel the 100 g green pepper tails and cut into five rings. 400 g ripe tomatoes Chop the onion, garlic and green pepper into small chunks. 1 tbsp. parsley Peel and chop the tomato into small chunks. 200 g rustic bread In an earthenware pot, gently fry the lobster heads for a 50 g toasted almonds few minutes and then reserve. Then gently fry the onion 3 cloves of garlic and garlic in the same oil. After five minutes, add the green 50 ml cognac pepper, and then ten minutes later, the tomato. Add the 1 precooked baguette cognac and cook over a low heat until all the vegetables are 2 litres of water very soft. Blend the vegetables using a hand-held blender 200 ml oil so that there are no whole chunks left. salt Place the lobster heads on the vegetable puree and cover it all with water, then cook over a low heat for 45 minutes. In a pestle and mortar, grind the parsley together with the figs, almonds and the rustic bread, which has been previously cut into very thin slices and toasted. Blend the mixture using a blender. When the baguette is still half frozen, cut into very fine slices and wrap around the lobster rings, and then toast in the oven until crisp. To serve, place the rings on the plate, then drizzle the blended mixture in a circle around them, and gradually pour the stew over using a jug.

Tolo Carrasco

33 TRADITIONAL RECIPE

STUFFED AUBERGINES

ingredients 8 aubergines 2 onions 1 green pepper 2 cloves of garlic 3 tomatoes, peeled and grated 2 eggs (optional) 6 tbsp. of breadcrumbs salt parsley oil preparation Slice the aubergines lengthwise down the middle, and boil in salted water over a high heat for 10 minutes. Remove and leave them to drain face down so they lose some of their juice. When they have cooled, scoop out the pulp with a spoon and set to one side, leaving the skin of the aubergines like little boats. Chop the onion, green pepper and garlic, and gently fry in a pan with a little oil. Add the grated tomatoes and a little chopped parsley. When the onion has become translucent, add the aubergine pulp, season and cook for a few minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent it from sticking. Remove from the heat and mix in the two beaten eggs and three tbsp. of breadcrumbs to form a paste. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to around 160 degrees. Place the aubergine boats on a tray and fill them with the paste. Sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top along with a little garlic, parsley, and drizzle over some olive oil. Bake in the oven until they are golden and the edges are crisp, around half an hour depending on the temperature.

35 UPDATED VERSION

AUBERGINES STUFFED WITH VEGETABLES AND ‘PEROL’ CASSEROLE MEAT

preparation ingredients Slice the aubergines down the middle lengthwise and make 2 large aubergines some superficial cuts in the shape of crosses in the flesh. 2 red peppers Place them on a tray, add a little oil, salt and black pepper, 1 green pepper and then bake in the oven at 180 degrees for 15 minutes. 2 onions Chop the peppers and onion into small chunks and then 600 grams of ‘perol’ meat cook in a pan over a very low heat for around two or three (used previously to make a stew or broth, therefore hours, until they become a kind of paste. already boiled) Slice the meat and add salt and olive oil. Then scoop out 1 clove of garlic the aubergine pulp using a spoon, taking care not to break parsley the skin, leaving little boats of aubergine skin. Mix the pulp breadcrumbs together with the chopped up meat. grated Mahón-Menorca cheese Fill the aubergines with the vegetable paste, a little grated Mahón-Menorca cheese and the meat mixture. Sprinkle salt the breadcrumbs over, mixed with garlic and parsley. black pepper Drizzle a little oil over the top, and bake at around 200 degrees for five minutes until they turn golden brown.

Victor Bayo

37 TRADITIONAL RECIPE

“PEROL DE TOMÀTIC” Tray of oven-baked tomatoes

ingredients 1 kg of potatoes 1 kg of tomatoes 3 or 4 cloves of garlic 1 bunch of parsley 4 tbsp. of breadcrumbs 8 tbsp. of olive oil 1 tbsp. of sugar salt preparation Peel the potatoes, cut into medium sized slices and rinse them in water. Wash the tomatoes and cut them into slices. Arrange the potatoes to cover the bottom of a baking tray, overlapping a little to form a layer. Arrange the tomatoes on top in the same way until they cover the potatoes. Season with salt and sprinkle a tbsp. of sugar over the tomato slices. Whilst the oven is heating to around 190 degrees, chop the garlic very finely and mix with the chopped parsley and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle this mixture over the tray and drizzle over a generous amount of oil. Place the tray in the oven and cook for half an hour. Then turn the heat down to 140 degrees and cook for another 20 minutes. It can be served hot or cold, as an accompaniment to meat or fish. You can also arrange pieces of meat or fish on the tray itself, underneath the layer of tomatoes.

39 UPDATED VERSION “PEROL DE TOMÀTIC” Ingredients for the tomato sand: 200 g of dried tomato 250 g of sieved flour Preparation 25 g sugar Chop the dried tomato. Mix the flour and the sugar 100 g of softened butter together, and then add the chopped tomato and the butter. for the cherry tomatoes: Spread the dough between two Silpat baking mats and bake at 125 degrees for 40 minutes. Once cooled, grind 1 bunch of Cherry tomatoes on the vine up the dough. 1 sprig of thyme Blanch the cherry tomatoes for a few seconds to make removing the skin easier. Keep the vine to one side to be for the parsley croquant: used later, and bake the tomatoes in the oven for a few 20 g of parsley puree minutes with the thyme. (blanched, chopped and sieved parsley) To make the parsley croquant, mix the butter with the 20 g of spinach puree purees, sugar and the syrup which has been heated to 30 25 g of sifted flour degrees. Then add the flour and bake at 160 degrees for 12 minutes. Sprinkle the salt flakes over the top. 100 of refined or icing sugar Wash the potato thoroughly and bake it on the hob for a 10 g of syrup few minutes. Use a scoop to empty out the insides and 40 g of melted butter reserve the skin. Dice the potato and place in a paella pan Maldon salt flakes (or with oil and a bay leaf. Keep the oil at 70 degrees until the similar) potato is cooked. for the potatoes: Gently fry the potato skins with half a chopped onion, and 1 potato weighing around when the mixture is golden, add a teaspoon of Pimentón 100 g de la Vera paprika. Cover with boiling water, cook for five minutes and drain. 1 bay leaf ½ onion To make the garlic caviar, mix together all the ingredients, 1 tsp. of ‘Pimentón de la blend and then fill the caviar dish. Place the mixture in the Vera’ paprika calcium bath (made using one litre of mineral water for 10 g Oil of calcium chloride) for one minute, drain and then place in mineral water and drain again. for the garlic caviar: Finally, coat the cherry tomatoes with the tomato sand, 250 ml mineral water and brown the confit potato. Decorate the plate with the 250 g of basic alginate parsley croquant and the garlic caviar. recipe (1 litre of water per 20 g of alginate) 250 g of 50/50 syrup 250 g of garlic pulp Carlos Juanico 10 g of calcium chloride

41 02 MAIN COURSE RECIPES FISH TRADITIONAL RECIPE

OVEN-BAKED SKATE WITH POTATOES ingredients 1 kg of skate 1 kg of potatoes 3 tomatoes 4 cloves of garlic 1 bunch of parsley 4 tbsp. of breadcrumbs 8 tbsp. of olive oil 1 small glass of water a pinch of sugar salt black pepper preparation Clean and cut the skate into pieces. Peel the potatoes, cut into medium slices and layer them on a baking tray, which has been brushed with oil. Place the skate on top, season with salt, and then place another layer of potatoes on top. Sprinkle over more salt, and then cover with tomatoes which have been cut in half, and placed face-up, then sprinkle over a pinch of sugar. Pre-heat the oven to around 180 degrees. Finely chop the garlic and the washed parsley, and mix it all with breadcrumbs, together with a little black pepper. Sprinkle the mixture over the oven tray. Drizzle over a generous amount of oil and a little water. You can also add a little milk. Bake in the oven for around 40 minutes.

45 UPDATED VERSION MENORCAN-STYLE OVEN-BAKED SKATE

Preparation Ingredients Firstly, make a herb crust by chopping up the parsley with 1 onion the breadcrumbs, making a kind of green mixture. Place 2 ripe tomatoes in a bowl and add the melted butter until you have made 2 medium sized tomato a smooth dough, which should then be rolled out with a 800 g or 1 kg of skate, rolling pin between sheets of baking paper. Keep in the having removed the gristle fridge. breadcrumbs Grate the tomato pulp and cook over a very low heat in a parsley pot, with salt, black pepper, olive oil, and two tablespoons butter of sugar. When all the liquid has evaporated, remove from sugar the heat and reserve. olive oil Prepare the potatoes in the style of Pommes Anna. salt Slice the potatoes very finely. Heat a little oil and butter black pepper in a frying pan over a medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the potato slices neatly, one on top of the other, until they are golden on one side. Add a little salt and, when they are golden brown, flip them so they cook on the other side. Cut the skate into portions and seal them over a high heat in a pan with salt and pepper. Then arrange them on a baking tray. Cut a piece of the herb crust the same size as the portion of fish, and bake them together for between 8 and 10 minutes at 180 degrees. Julienne the onion. Make a caramel using the sugar and butter, and then add the onion. Stir continually when cooking as the water evaporates, until the onion becomes caramelised in colour. Finally, serve the fish with a portion of potatoes Anna and the confit tomatoes.

Patrick James

47 TRADITIONAL RECIPE

STUFFED SQUID ingredients 1 kg of medium squid 3 cloves of garlic 2 tbsp. of breadcrumbs 1 egg parsley 8 tbsp. of milk 8 tbsp. of water 4 tbsp. of olive oil salt preparation Clean the squid. Remove the wings and tentacles; chop and season with salt and pepper. Chop the garlic and parsley, and mix with the breadcrumbs and the chopped wings and tentacles. Add the beaten egg. Use this mixture to stuff the squid and season with salt. Use a toothpick to skewer the bottom of each squid and prevent them from splitting open. Place them in a pan with oil and brown them a little before adding the milk and water. Cook the squid over a very low heat for half an hour.

note This recipe can also be made in the oven. Place the squid on a bed of sliced potatoes and cook for around 45 minutes at 160 degrees.

49 UPDATED VERSION STUFFED SQUID

Preparation Ingredients Clean the squid, reserving the wings and tentacles. Then 1 kg of squid Julienne the onions and gently fry over a very low heat 4 onions with the reserved parts of the squid, the garlic and the bay 500 g of peeled prawn tails leaves. Once softened, whizz up the mixture in the blender. 250 g of pine nuts Stir fry the prawns, pine nuts and the sobrasada sausage, 250 g of sobrasada sausage and add to the previous mixture in order to stuff the squid. 250 g ground toasted Use a toothpick to skewer the bottom of the squid so the almonds mixture does not escape. 2 bay leaves Dust the squid with flour and lightly fry in oil. Then place 1 bulb of garlic them on a baking tray, and add the milk and ground 1 litre of full fat milk almonds. Cover the tray with aluminium foil and bake in the olive oil oven for around 40 to 45 minutes, at 180 degrees. salt

Oscar Torrens

51 TRADITIONAL RECIPE

COD WITH “BURRIDA” ingredients ½ kg of unsalted cod loins 4 cloves of garlic 1 egg 2 tbsp. of butter 1 tbsp. of sweet paprika olive oil salt preparation Clean the cod and cut into eight pieces. Place it in a pan with plenty of cold water, cover and heat on the stove. Make sure you turn the heat off just before the water begins to boil (a white foam will start to form). Leave the cod to cool down in the cooking water. Meanwhile, prepare an aioli sauce. Peel the garlic and remove the centre shoots to achieve a milder flavour. Place in a mortar with an egg yolk and a little salt, and then gradually add ¼ litre of oil, drizzled in slowly, constantly stirring in the same direction with a whisk or with the pestle. Reserve approximately one glass of the stock, then lift out the cod, remove the skin and bones. Gently fry in a pan with a little oil and butter. After a few minutes, add the paprika and some of the reserved stock. Add the remaining reserved stock to the aioli and add four tablespoons into the pan. Cook for a few minutes over a low heat, gently shaking the pan so that everything binds together. Remove the cod and serve with the sauce.

53 UPDATED VERSION COD WITH “BURRIDA”

Preparation Ingredients Peel and cut the potatoes into straws and boil them over a 1 kg of cod (4 loins each gentle heat with fish fumet (stock) until they are soft. Then, weighing 250 gr) julienne the onions and gently fry them over a low heat with 400 g of potatoes a little oil and salt until they are caramelised. 2 large onions To make the aioli, you must first infuse the oil with virgin olive oil chamomile. Place some fresh chamomile from Menorca in salt a pan with sunflower oil and leave in a bain-marie for around 6 hours. Then strain and reserve. Place the garlic clove, salt for the chamomile aioli: and milk in a blender jug. As you blend, gradually drizzle in 350 ml of chamomile oil the chamomile oil to form a thick smooth sauce. Then, add 100 ml of milk the honey and continue to blend using a hand-held blender. Finally, add a little more oil so that it gains consistency 1 clove of garlic again, and reserve the aioli. 1 dessertspoon of milk salt Confit the cod in oil at around 70 degrees for about 14 minutes. Drain and reserve. Place the aioli in two or three quenelles (creating an oval shape using two soup spoons) on the cod, and brown in the oven or using a wood-burning stove, until it turns a golden colour. To serve, place a layer of potatoes in the centre of the plate with a spoonful of caramelised onion. Season the garnish with salt crystals. Place the cod loin on the top, and decorate with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a little parsley.

Jordi Pons

55 03 MAIN COURSE RECIPES MEAT TRADITIONAL RECIPE

PARTRIDGE WITH CABBAGE ingredients 4 partridges 8 green cabbage leaves 1 onion 50 g of pancetta 50 g of sobrasada sausage 50 g of botifarró sausage 1 small glass of white wine 1 pack of soup/stock vegetables 1 glass of water or stock olive oil pork lard salt black pepper preparation Blanch the cabbage leaves for around two minutes in boiling water, drain and leave them in cold water to refresh. Meanwhile, chop the onion and the vegetables from the soup/stock pack. Clean the partridges and season with salt and pepper. Divide the pancetta, sobrasada and botifarró into four parts, and stuff the partridges with this mixture. Gently fry them in a pan with the pork lard and oil until they are golden. Then remove them and wrap each partridge in one or two cabbage leaves to form parcels, and tie with kitchen string. Place the pan back on the hob and stir fry the onion, vegetables and herbs for soup. After a few minutes, add the cabbage parcels and pour wine over (which will be reduced), along with water or stock, making sure they are not completely covered. Cook over a low heat for around 40 minutes. To serve, untie the parcels and present the partridges. The sauce can be sieved and left to reduce over a high heat. note Cooking can also be finished in the oven, at around 180 degrees.

59 UPDATED VERSION PARTRIDGE DUMPLINGS

Preparation Ingredients Prepare a medley of vegetables to cook in a pan. Chop the half onion, 4 partridges carrot, half leak, the stick of white celery and two cloves of garlic. Also ½ onion add four diced ripe tomatoes. Add the partridges, which have been split down the middle, the red wine and water, and cook for around 1 carrot 50 minutes. ½ leak Bone the partridges with your hands and keep the bones to one side 1 stick of white celery to add to the vegetable medley. Shred the meat and mix with a little 2 cloves of garlic of the broth (which now has the bones in it) so it does not dry out. Season with salt and pepper, and create dumplings with the meat, 4 ripe tomatoes each weighing around 40 grams. Wrap them in the pork gut, dust 1 baguette them with flour and then fry them in very hot oil. Strain the stock red wine from the bones and vegetables, and add the partridge dumplings, cooking them slightly until they are ready to be served. pork gut (for sausages) flour Cook the cabbage along with the peeled and diced potato. In another pan, gently fry the julienne Figueres onion together with the chopped oil garlic and sliced spring onion. When the potato is cooked, chop with a knife and add to the mixture together with the cabbage. Season with salt and pepper and brown in a frying pan until golden. for the cabbage purée: 6 leaves of curly cabbage To make the sobrasada sponge, mix 80 g of sobrasada sausage, 130 g of egg white, 80 g of egg yolk, 20 g of sugar and 20 g of flour. Mix 1 potato in the blender and leave to cool in the fridge. After two hours, blend ½ Figueres onion again. Sieve and place it in a soda siphon, which has been charged with gas, and shake vigorously. Then take a plastic cup, make holes ½ spring onion in the base and fill it up to a third. Place it upside down on a plate and 1 clove of garlic microwave at 900 w for 30 or 40 seconds. Finally, leave the cup in the fridge to cool. for the sobrasada sponge: Using a slicer, cut the baguette lengthwise into fairly thin slices. Line a 80 g of sobrasada sausage mould or tin and bake in the oven until they turn golden. 130 g of egg white Finally, make a caramelised oil sphere. To do this, place the isomalt 80 g of egg yolk sugar, the liquid glucose and a few drops of water in a pan. Heat until it turns a golden caramel colour and, with the help of a cylindrical mould 20 g sugar and oil, shape the spheres. 20 g flour To serve everything, place a little of the cabbage puree on the bottom of the plate and the partridge dumplings on top. Pour some of the for the oil spheres: gravy made from boiling the bones over the top. Carefully arrange the crispy bread and caramelised oil sphere. Add the sobrasada sponge 30 g isomalt sugar and garnish with aromatic herbs for a touch of colour. 10 g of liquid glucose a few drops of water oil Dani Mesquida

61 TRADITIONAL RECIPE

RABBIT IN SAUCE

Ingredients 1 kg of diced rabbit 150 g of bacon 1 onion 1/2 bulb of garlic 1 tbsp. of flour 1 bay leaf 1 glass of sherry olive oil ½ glass of water salt black pepper

Preparation In a pan, lightly brown the diced rabbit in hot oil, and then add the bacon chopped into little pieces. Add the onion cut into strips and leave to cook for a few minutes. Separate the garlic cloves out but do not peel or chop, and then add them to the pan with the bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper. Cook for a little longer, adding the occasional splash of water so it does not stick. In a paella pan, over a medium heat, brown the flour until it becomes golden, and then mix with the sherry. Pour the sauce into a pan with the rabbit, reduce the heat and cook for half an hour.

63 UPDATED VERSION RABBIT TERRINE WITH VEGETABLE SAUCE

Preparation Ingredients Remove the rabbit’s head and quarter the body. Reserve 2 whole rabbits the livers. In a pan with oil, cook the rabbit, garlic and bay 6 cloves of garlic leaves over a low heat for an hour and a half, until the meat 2 eggs is falling off the bones. At this point, turn the heat off and 100 g of bacon, diced leave the rabbit to rest in the oil for a further 20 minutes. Then take out the rabbit and, whilst it is still hot, remove the 100 g walnuts bones and reserve. 1 onion 1 red pepper Place the eggs, the softened onions, cream, shredded 2 carrots rabbit, walnuts, Calvados and chopped livers in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and stir well until you have a 2 tomatoes smooth paste. Spoon into a plum cake tin and cover with 2 bay leaves aluminium foil, then oven bake in a bain-marie for 20 15 g chopped parsley minutes at 185 degrees. When it is ready, leave it in the 2 litres of olive oil fridge to chill for 24 hours. 50 cl of single cream Meanwhile, chop all the vegetables and gently fry in a pan. ½ glass of Calvados Add salt to taste, along with the dark meat stock. Cook ½ litre of dark meat stock until it reduces and becomes a sauce. salt For the garnish, julienne all the vegetables and cook in a frying pan over a gentle heat. Keep the frying pan covered for the garnish: until the vegetables turn crispy. ½ leak Finally, carefully remove the rabbit terrine from the mould 1 carrot and cut into eight portions so there are two per person. 1 courgette Heat the terrine and pour over the warm sauce. Serve with 1 green pepper the julienne vegetable garnish. 50 g of cherry tomatoes

Marco Antonio Collado

65 TRADITIONAL RECIPE

ROAST LEG OF LAMB ingredients 1 leg of lamb 1 bulb of garlic 1 small glass of white wine aromatic herbs of your choosing (bay, parsley, mint, basil...) 1 tbsp. of pork lard salt black pepper preparation Cut through the fat and the skin at the joint of the leg so it fits into a pan. Make some slits in the meat for the flavour to penetrate, season with salt and pepper and add the whole garlic cloves and the aromatic herbs. Pour over the wine and a little water. Dot the meat with lard. Heat the oven. Cover the pot with aluminium foil and place in the top of the oven, cooking for around two hours on a low setting. Then turn the leg over, baste with the meat juices, and cook for a further two hours at the bottom of the oven.

note Cooking time can be reduced by increasing the oven temperature. Another version of this dish includes arranging a bed of sliced sobrasada sausage on the bottom of the pan, and pieces of sobrasada and bacon poked into the leg. It is usually served with chips.

67 UPDATED VERSION SLOW ROAST “ANYELL DE LLET” (LAMB) WITH POTATO AND BLACK OLIVE PUREE

Preparation Ingredients Cut the legs into four pieces and shrink-wrap them 2 lambs’ legs (‘Anyell de llet together with milk, oil, thyme and salt. Cook in a steam de Menorca’) oven or Roner at 80 degrees for eight hours. Once cooked, 200 cl of milk cool the parcels down quickly using ice water and reserve. 2 sprigs of thyme For the potato puree, peel and dice the potatoes. Boil them 200 cl of dark lamb stock in mineral water for around 35 minutes. Chop the olives 2 large potatoes and add them to the drained potatoes. Create an emulsion 50 g of ‘Kalamata’ black with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, and olives mash with a fork until the potato takes on a creamy texture. black pepper chives Cook the lamb in the oven at 170 degrees for just 8 minutes. Reduce the lamb juices with a little sweet wine salt to make a gravy. To serve, place the lamb on a plate with oil a quenelle (an oval-shaped portion shaped using two soup spoons) of potato puree and accompany with the gravy.

Oriol Castell

69 04 DESSERTS TRADITIONAL RECIPE

“MENJAR BLANC” White ambrosia

ingredients 1 litre of milk 150 g sugar 200 g of rice flour zest of 1 lemon 1 stick of cinnamon 1 small glass of water preparation Heat the water with the cinnamon stick and the lemon zest. Dissolve the flour rice and sugar in the milk and then heat. Just when it is about to boil, add the water with the flavourings and stir constantly over a low heat until the mixture gets thick enough for your liking. Turn the heat off, dish up the dessert in one large or several individual bowls and leave to chill.

73 UPDATED VERSION MENJAR BLANC

Preparation Ingredients Put the milk in a pan together with the sugar, cinnamon and ½ litre of milk lemon zest. Separately, mix the flour well with the eggs. 1 stick of cinnamon 1 piece of lemon zest When the milk is coming to the boil, add a little to the flour and egg mixture, stirring thoroughly so that no lumps form. 100 g sugar 120 g of corn flour When it starts to take on the right texture, spoon into 2 eggs individual moulds.

Lidia Barber

75 TRADITIONAL RECIPE

“CUSCUSSÓ”

ingredients ½ kg of breadcrumbs made using salt-free rustic bread ½ kg of grated almonds ½ kg sugar 250 g of pork lard 1 tsp of grated lemon zest 1 tsp of ground cinnamon 50 g of currants 50 g of pine nuts 150 g of glacéd fruit (cherries, oranges, pears, etc.) preparation In a pan, over a low heat, dissolve the sugar and the lard (adding a little water if necessary). When the sugar has dissolved, add the currants and continue to cook until a caramel is formed. Add the breadcrumbs, almonds, lemon zest and cinnamon, and stir for around five minutes until the mixture has bound well. Take the pan off the heat and leave to cool. Knead the dough into a baguette shape. Distribute the glacéd fruit and pine nuts over the top, poking them in a little way so they stick.

note It can be kept in the fridge wrapped in aluminium foil, where it will keep well for several days.

77 UPDATED VERSION CUSCUSSÓ

Ingredients Preparation 200 g of almonds Lightly toast the almonds and then grind them. Separately, grind up the ensaimada. 200 g sugar 100 ml water Place the sugar and water in a pan on the hob. When it 250 g of Mallorcan comes to the boil, add the ingredients in this order: firstly ensaimada (if it’s from the the almonds, then the ground-up ensaimada, the glacéd day before, so much the fruits, the lightly toasted pine nuts, the currants, a pinch of better) cinnamon and the grated zest of half a lemon, taking care to 100 g of glacéd fruits avoid the pith as this creates a bitter taste. Stir continually 20 g of pine nuts until the ingredients form a dough. Remove from the heat 30 g of currants and pour into a mould to cool. cinnamon For the pomegranate sauce, first remove the seeds, clean lemon and weigh them to calculate the amount of sugar required. Add half this weight in sugar to the pan and heat together for the pomegranate with the water and the juice of half a lemon. Before it sauce: comes to the boil, add the pomegranate seeds and boil for 1 ‘granada agria’ a minute. Then push the syrup through a sieve and leave pomegranate to rest. sugar The ‘cuscussó’ is served in small portions with the water pomegranate sauce on top or to the side, creating a juice of ½ a lemon contrast between sweet and savoury flavours.

Miquel Canovas

79 TRADITIONAL RECIPE

“BROSSAT” Cottage cheese pudding

Ingredients 400 g cottage cheese 100 g sugar ¼ loaf of bread from the previous day A few tbsp of milk to soften the bread ½ tbsp of ground cinnamon zest of half a lemon preparation Place a little milk in a bowl and then add the bread to soak up the liquid. Make sure it is fully soaked but not dripping; if necessary, squeeze a little to get rid of any excess milk. Then, mash the bread with a fork and mix with the crumbled cottage cheese, sugar and lemon zest. Pour the mixture into a rectangular mould. Decorate the pudding by sprinkling the cinnamon and a few more tablespoons of sugar over the top. Optionally, you could drizzle over a little sunflower oil. Place the pudding in the oven, which has been pre-heated to 180 degrees, and bake for half an hour. If you insert a toothpick in and it comes out clean, the pudding is ready. If not, leave to bake for another few minutes.

81 UPDATED VERSION “BROSSAT” PUDDING

Preparation Ingredients Put the bread in the milk to soak. In another bowl, mash the ½ kg of cottage cheese cottage cheese and add the drained bread. Mix in the egg 3 eggs yolks, a tablespoon of ground cinnamon and the sugar, and 1 small loaf of bread or stir well. Separately, whisk the egg whites until stiff and fold piece of hard bread into the mixture. 200 cl of milk Grease a square tin with butter and spoon in the mixture. 300 g sugar Sprinkle a little sugar over the top together with the cinnamon cinnamon and lemon zest. Bake in the oven at 170 degrees grated lemon zest for around 35 minutes. Once it has finished cooking, you can switch off the oven and leave it in there for a further 10 minutes. Leave it to cool, and then sprinkle icing sugar over the top.

Damià Coll

note The amounts of bread and cottage cheese used could vary. You could also substitute the bread with a piece of ensaimada or sponge cake.

83 TRADITIONAL RECIPE

“COCA DE CONGRET” ingredients 250 g corn starch or flour 250 g sugar 6 eggs 1 tbsp. of grated lemon zest 1 tsp of lard or butter powdered sugar to decorate preparation Separate the eggs whites from the yolks, and beat the yolks into the sugar. Beat for quite some time, until the sugar dissolves and a light frothy mixture is formed. Sieve the corn starch into the mixture, all the while beating the eggs. Whisk the whites until stiff (you can add a pinch of salt here). Add the lemon zest to the eggs and flour, stir together and fold in the stiff egg whites. Meanwhile, pre-heat the oven to around 160 degrees. Grease a tin with butter and spoon the mixture in up to half way only, since it will rise during cooking. Place the tin at the bottom of the oven and bake for around 40 minutes. It does not need to be baked for too long; as soon as it turns golden, it can be taken out. Remove from the tin and sprinkle over powdered sugar to serve.

85 UPDATED VERSION APRICOT SOUP WITH “COCA DE CONGRET”

Preparation Ingredients To make the ‘congret’, whisk the eggs and sugar in the for the ‘congret’: blender and gently fold in the flour by hand. Bake in the 315 g sugar oven for 30 minutes at around 180 degrees. 9 eggs Blend the apricots with the sugar and keep in the fridge. 300 g flour Meanwhile, mix together all the ingredients to make the for the apricot soup: croquant (flour, egg white, sugar, hazelnuts and almonds) and, without mixing too thoroughly, make little balls and 100 g apricot place them on a tray to cook in the oven for around 10 35 g sugar minutes at 200 degrees. for the croquant: To serve, place a rectangular portion of the ‘congret’ on a plate and crown with a quenelle (oval shape made using two 65 g flour soup spoons) of vanilla ice cream. Place a croquant ball on 65 g of egg white top of the ice cream, and pour the cold soup around the 250 g sugar ‘congret’. You can decorate with cubes of dried apricots 50 gr chopped hazelnuts and ground pistachios. 50 g chopped almonds

serve with: Llorenç Pons vanilla ice cream, which should be as natural and organic as possible

87 BIBLIOGRAPHY

- AL·LÈS SALVÀ, Bep (2008): Sa cuina de Cincogema i d’anar a vega. Receptari de menjars tradicionals i d’anar a fora. Receptari núm. 1. Els berenars, per fer es vermut, calderes, calderetes, oliaigos, panaderes i arrossos dins el tià. Ciutadella, Setmanaris i Revistes S.L. - BALLESTER, Pedro (1923): De re cibaria. Cocina, pastelería, repostería menorquinas. Quinta edición de 1986 con prólogo de Ramón Cavaller Triay. Barcelona, Andrés Puig Vicente editor. - BESTARD, Inmaculada; BARRIO, Javier; CAÑELLAS, Jaume (1994): El queso de Mahón. Denominación de origen. Menorca, Consejo Regulador Denominación de Origen Queso de Mahón. - BESTARD, Inmaculada; CAÑELLAS, Jaume; ROSSELLÓ, Carme (2003): Conèixer i gaudir els aliments de les Illes Balears. Palma de Mallorca, UIB. Servei de Publicacions i Intercanvi Científic, Conselleria d’Agricultura i Pesca. - BORRÀS, Josep; BORRÀS, Damià (1998): La cuina dels menorquins. Barcelona, Columna cuina. 2ª edición en 2000. - CAMPS EXTREMERA, Antoni; SINTES PONS, Helena (1996): Apicultura tradicional de Menorca (1800-1950). Maó, Institut Menorquí d’Estudis i Ajuntament de Ciutadella. Editorial Menorca. - CAVALLER TRIAY, Ramón (1984): La cuina menorquina (I), a “Quaderns de Folklore”, núm. 14. Maó, Col·lectiu Folklòric de Ciutadella. - CAVALLER TRIAY, Ramón (1985): La cuina menorquina (II). Rebosteria popular, a Quaderns de Folklore”, núm 21. Maó, Col·lectiu Folklòric de Ciutadella. - COLL PETRUS, Diego (2003): La cocina marinera de Fornells. 2ª edición en 2006. San Sebastián, el autor. - FÀBREGA, Jaume; PUIGVERT, Carme (1995): La cuina de Menorca. Barcelona, La Magrana. - FUSTER, Xim; GÓMEZ, Manel (2005): Menorca, gastronomía i cuina. Barcelona, Triangle Postals. - JUAN DE CORRAL, Caty (1985): Cocina balear. Las cuatro estaciones. Barcelona, Caja de Baleares Sa Nostra. - MELIS PONS, Pere (2002): Sobre antics costums i altres temes de Menorca. Menorca, Nura. - PONS FRAGA, Josep (1998): Guía de gastronomía menorquina. Ciutadella, Asociación menorquina de cafeterías, bares y restaurantes de PIME. - PONS MUÑOZ, José María (2002): Menorca y su gastronomía. Restaurantes y bares. Maó, Asociación menorquina de cafeterías, bares y restaurantes de PIME. - RIERA, Francisco (2009): El sabor del nostre mar: 20 espècies populars de la nostra cuina. Palma de Mallorca, Govern de les Illes Balears, Conselleria d’Agricultura i Pesca. - RIPOLL, Lluís (1983): Libro de cocina menorquina. Las mejores y más celebradas recetas de la cocina tradicional de Menorca y de la implantada por los dominadores. Col·lecció Siurell. Palma de Mallorca, el autor. - SEGUÍ, Lluís (2009): El sabor del nostre mar: Les espècies de les nostres costes (I). Palma de Mallorca, Govern de les Illes Balears, Conselleria d’Agricultura i Pesca. 1993 - 2013 MENORCA 20 YearS balearic islands BioSPHere reSerVe