The majorcan Sobrasada, the delicacy of the Balearic Islands
The Sobrasada
If we ask any resident of the island or any foreigner what Mallorca is known for, in addition to the wonderful beaches, coves, landscapes and climate, they will surely tell you that it is for sobrassada.
La Sobrasada is considered one of the ambassadors of Mallorcan gastronomy, along with the famous ensaimadas.
This delicious sausage of simple preparation has ingredients such as black pork, salt and paprika, other spices, which will give more or less intensity to its spiciness.
The Origin of the Sobrasada de Mallorca.
Like all sausages, it was born from the need to generate food preservation techniques, but was sobrassada really born in Mallorca?
Unfortunately I must say no, since its origin is rather Italian, more specifically from the area of Sicily and Calabria, where it is known as Nduja.
For everyone's peace of mind, the Nduja is similar but it is not the same.
This was born as poor food for the less favored classes, and for its preparation the less noble or residual parts of the pig were used, although over time these same parts became delicacies for the wealthiest.
How it arrived in the Balearic Islands is another story, since the oldest references that are available date from 1403, in which King Martín I of Aragón requested by letter to the butler of Martín I of Sicily, that Sobrasadas be sent to him. (Surprise) and other food.
Arriving these and their production technique thanks to maritime trade to Valencia and from there to the Balearic Islands, where their production is adopted and improved.
And up to here, the resemblance to nduja, since sobrassada is a much more aromatic, healthy and tasty sausage, and this is due to the breed of pig with which it is made and of course to the paprika.
Paprika is the one that makes one of the most important contributions in terms of its preparation and presentation, and that of course did not become possible until the 18th century.
This seasoning is so important in Mallorcan sobrassada, to the point that in order to be considered authentic, it is dictated how much they should contain, and it is normally harvested and made on the island of Mallorca.
I.G.P Sobrasada de Mallorca
Currently the production of Sobrasada is strictly regulated, thanks to the Protected Geographical Indication (IGP) seal, in which the website exposes the following about this product:
Raw cured sausage, made with minced pork (lean and bacon), added paprika, salt and spices, kneaded, stuffed and cured.
Based on the breed of pig, they are differentiated into two types:
-"Sobrasada de Mallorca": made with pork of all breeds.
- "Sobrasada de Mallorca de cerdo negro": made with pork from the native Mallorcan breed, raised and fattened on the island of Mallorca according to traditional practices, under an extensive or semi-extensive regime.
The sobrasadas at the end of the curing process have an irregular cylindrical shape, determined by the morphology of the casing. The surface of the sausage is dark red, smooth or slightly rough, with no mold or whitish mold. The paste is soft, inelastic, adherent, cohesive, unctuous, not very fibrous and marble-red in appearance. It has a characteristic flavor and aroma, with a clear perception of the presence of paprika.
The secrets of the Sobrasada.
As in all places, each family has its recipe, but as a purist that I consider myself, I tell you from the point of view of regulation what are its ingredients and their proportions
The primary ingredient, of course, is good pork, of which we will use lean and bacon, the amount of lean used being between 30 and 60 percent of the total, and the bacon of which between 40 and 70 percent.
The mixture of meats must be mechanically minced until obtaining particles with a diameter of less than 6 mm.
As a second ingredient, paprika, of which an amount that represents between 4 and 7 percent of the sobrassada will be used, which corresponds to about 50 or 60 grams of this seasoning.
The portion of salt will be equivalent to 1.8 and 2.8 percent of the recipe, to which other spices such as pepper, rosemary, thyme and oregano will have to be added.
Of course, we must have the pork casing, which must be 100% natural, with a firm consistency, without holes and without irregularities.
Once we have the ingredients, it is very important to mix and knead them, with which we will make a mixture by kneading with mechanical processes until we obtain a homogeneous mixture.
In terms of shape, it must be irregular cylindrical, determined by the morphology of the casing, from which it is distinguished according to its final shape.
- Llonganissa, thin, similar to a sausage.
- Arrissada, Made in large casing
- Semi Arrissada, made in medium casing, the most common in the markets.
- Culana, which uses large casing from the end zone of the pig's intestine,
- Buffet, up to 8 kilos in weight
- Bisbe, who uses the pig's stomach for stuffing, being the largest.
- Poltrú, in which the cecum of the pig is used.
- Terrine, in which a glass container is not used.
How to eat the sobrassada
It is the part that we all like the most, tasting this delicacy, and here I will tell you how to do it to enjoy all its flavor in multiple recipes.
Obviously one of the most common uses is with bread, not insignificant, since it is one of the best accompaniments for a good country bread or artisan bread.
And after the bread, what?
Well, after the sobrassada spread with bread, we can give it many uses, for example we can use it in rice dishes, as fillings for empanadas, as an additional ingredient to stews, in desserts and on pizzas, in sandwiches with honey, or along with some fried eggs with potatoes, and why not also experiment as our imagination tells us.
Where to Buy Sobrasada
Sobrasada in Mallorca is a product that you can find almost anywhere, but I am going to give you recommendations for the best places so that you do not get caught in a poke
- Cas Sereno, Inca.
- Grocery store Sant Domingo, Palma de Mallorca.
- Sa Teulera, Manacor.
- Mercat del Olivar, Palma de Mallorca.
As you can see, in addition to being a star sausage in the Balearic Islands, it has an origin linked to historical events and by itself represents Mediterranean gastronomy like nobody else.
The care taken to maintain a traditional recipe led to its protection before the authorities, and it will be one of the hallmarks of Mallorca for centuries.
So every time you taste it, think that you are savoring, not only a product of the highest quality, but part of the history of the Mediterranean peoples.
The gastronomy of Mallorca and its recipes
The Gastronomy of Mallorca.
Mallorca, the nerve center of the Balearic Islands, captivates both residents and visitors through the different senses, but if there is one in common for all who know it, it is taste through its extensive gastronomy.
Its raw materials and its dishes can fall in love more than its landscapes. The island's Mediterranean gastronomy is unique, and has a multitude of products that you can hardly resist.
There are many who affirm that the gastronomy of Mallorca is one of those that best represents Mediterranean cuisine, including myself.
A little history.
How could it be otherwise, thanks to the number of different cultures and civilizations that have inhabited this wonderful Mediterranean island, Mallorcan gastronomy is influenced by the Greeks, Phoenicians, Carthaginians, Romans, Arabs, Jews and Christians, all of whom drink from the source of the most exquisite gastronomic resources in the world, the Mediterranean, its coasts and islands.
As historical references in the fifteenth century, the Archduke Luis Salvador of Austria in his work "Die Balearen" was the first person to refer to the kitchen on the island, its products and who and how they consumed it, but let's talk about the present Well, that's what we're interested in.
The Mallorcan pantry, its raw material.
A festival of vegetables, fish and meat are part of the great Majorcan pantry, and these foods are the true protagonists in the great classics of Mallorcan cuisine.
It is so difficult for me to talk about all the products that this wonderful land produces and grows, since they are so wide and varied, that perhaps more than a post, I could need a book.
But to begin to tell you, as a product of the land we can perhaps highlight the well-known potatoes from Sa Pobla, the Mallorcan tomato or the purple carrot. The olives and their oils, the red peppers, and the hundreds of aromatic plants that, wild or cultivated, form part of the Mallorcan landscape.
As for its meat and fish, pork and lobster occupy privileged positions on an extensive list that begins with them, but we would not know where it would end.
Typical dishes of the Gastronomy of Mallorca.
Next, I am going to name some of the dishes and products made with the best raw materials on the island, to start opening your mouth and for you to realize the variety of native products from the islands that I never tire of using, preparing and reinventing. as a private chef in the Balearic Islands.
Sausages and Meats
La Sobrasada, the best known and undoubtedly the star sausage of the islands. Made with different pork meats, carefully selected and seasoned with paprika, black pepper and salt. This delicacy can be cooked as a single dish or as an accompaniment to a multitude of recipes, I particularly like both, which is your favorite?
The Mallorcan sausage or butifarrón, made with Mallorcan pork meat, seasoned and boiled, characteristic for its light color and its ability to be eaten raw or roasted. Another of the delicacies of Mallorcan sausages, for me always the favorite sausage of Spanish gastronomy
And that Mallorcan sausage, a delight that is made with the same dough as the sobrassada, longer and finer, being able to find it sweet or spicy.
I also love Camallot, which together with sobrassada is one of the best-known products of the Balearic Islands, made with products from the black pig of Mallorca and seasoned with salt, aniseed, pepper and black pepper. If you have never tried it, you are missing out. a very special sausage.
Regarding the use of meat in the dishes, we find spectacular recipes that leave no one indifferent to any of my privileged guests who hire my chef service at home, such as cooking with poultry with partridges, quail and thrushes stewed, or hares and rabbits, that give rise to dishes as exquisite as brut rice.
And of course the almost ubiquitous pork, whose lard sometimes seasons more typical Mallorcan dishes than olive oil itself. The pork together with the lamb are the protagonists of the famous "frits" mixing meat and offal with vegetables and greens.
Very famous lately "Les Pilotes", homemade meatballs to lick your fingers
Fish .
Fish soups and broths, (such as backgammon jonquillo) of fish with more than 60 types of native fish, Majorcan-style fish is another of the most typical recipes, made with various types of fish such as grouper or sea bream , which sit on a layer of potatoes and vegetables and to which, as a final touch, pine nuts and raisins are added.
Vegetables and cereals
The use of vegetables in the Balearic Islands throughout its history provides us with delicacies such as trempats, drowned carrots and the well-known stuffed aubergines
Surely you will be surprised, the quality of Majorcan rice dishes, we could say unparalleled because not only for the quality, taste and presentation of a rice with lobster, it is the global experience that only the island of Mallorca allows you, Imagine in a villa on the seafront of the Mediterranean, together with the most important people in your life where the colors and smells are the purest you can ever perceive, this, I can assure you, is an experience that is not forgotten in life .
And now we go to the sweet moment…
Everyone knows the Mallorcan ensaimadas, but this time we are not going to put them first, putting Cocas in the first place, both sweet and salty as it is another of the delicacies of the island of Mallorca. The sweet ones for me are the best from Valldemossa, I include it in many of my desserts and of the salty ones my favorite is coca de trampó. An exquisite and healthy appetizer or entrée, made with flour, oil, water and salt, imitating a kind of pizza base to which the best vegetables from the Mallorcan garden are added.
A special section deserves the soft Majorcan Cuartos and delicious sponge cakes that accompanied with vanilla ice cream generate a gastronomic pleasure for the sweetest sweet tooth.
And finally, we cannot forget one of the most traditional and well-known desserts, the Mallorcan ensaimada. It is made with basic ingredients such as water, flour, sourdough, eggs, yeast, sugar and lard. These can be classic or filled with various flavors. The truth is that it is the perfect accompaniment for any kind of breakfast or snack, and they go really well with almost any type of filling.
The chef of the Mediterranean
This unconditional love for Majorca and its gastronomy and my Italian origins made my cooking based on the gastronomy of this small paradise bathed by the Mediterranean, because by introducing its products and recipes , in my services you experience the explosion of the fusion of the most traditional and characteristic flavors of the island with the newest.
I could give you a thousand reasons to make you see that Mallorcan gastronomy has an incomparable flavor, but the best way to understand it is by trying it. I wait for you on the island.
Delle Vedove. Mediterranean chef
Recipe cannelloni with white asparagus from Tudela
With the arrival of spring, there are many seasonal products that invade our kitchens, especially if we refer to fruits and vegetables, where we can find a wide variety of delicious foods. On this occasion I would like to talk to you about the white asparagus from Tudela, since they are one of the best products of the season that we can find. And even more if we use them to make some cannelloni with these white asparagus from Tudela.
Did you know that white asparagus from Tudela is grown by hand in Tudela de Duero, a town in Castilla y León?
They are a product that is truly recognized for its large size and thickness, and where its flavor stands out with sweet and bitter notes, which distinguishes it from other asparagus and makes it a product that is truly appreciated for its high quality, which has managed to captivate chefs from everyone.
Its origin dates back to the 15th century, where there are documents that refer to the cultivation of this valuable product, which was a delicacy for people from the aristocracy. Since then, the cultivation has been carried out in an artisanal way, carefully preparing the land for a year and, after planting it in trenches more than one meter apart between the crops, the asparagus is harvested after a minimum of two years.
For this, the collection will be done carefully and with special care, achieving a high quality product.
On the occasion of the celebration of the Asparagus Exaltation Fair, which is held every year in Tudela de Duero on the last weekend of May, today I bring you a recipe that I am sure will not leave anyone indifferent. do you dare to do it with me?
SPRING MUSHROOM CANNELLONI WITH WHITE ASPARAGUS FROM TUDELA ROASTED
Ingredients for 6 people. We are going to need:
- For the mushroom filling:
- Chopped onion, 3 units;
- Minced garlic, 2 cloves;
- Olive oil, a splash;
- Paprika;
- Sausage pepper pulp;
- Sherry wine 1 shot;
- Seasonal mushrooms 300gr;
- Salt;
- Pepper.
- For the asparagus puree:
- remains of asparagus;
- Olive oil;
- Butter, 50 gr;
- Salt;
- Pepper;
- Bird broth.
- For plating and decoration:
- Cooked asparagus tips;
- Cooked cannelloni pasta;
- Sprout leaves to decorate;
- Iberian ham powder.
Elaboration.
We are going to start by putting a drizzle of olive oil, the chopped onion and the garlic in a pot, and we are going to fry everything until it has a golden color. At this point we add the pepper meat and paprika and let it cook for a few minutes. Add a little sherry wine to the ingredients that we have in the kitchen, leaving the ingredients to soak well.
Next, once we have cleaned the mushrooms, we chop them with the help of a knife, and sauté them over high heat in a frying pan, letting them brown very well. At this point we add it to the set of ingredients in the pot. With this step we ensure that the mushrooms do not release a lot of liquid in the pot. PLater, we are going to fill the cannelloni with this filling and keep them in the fridge.
Then, we bring a pot with water and salt to a boil, and add the white asparagus tips, leaving them for a few minutes until they are cooked. In the same water we are going to cook the cannelloni pasta for a few minutes.
In a pan we are going to fry a little oil with the remains of asparagus, letting them fry, but without taking a dark color. Add the chicken broth and cook until everything is cooked. At this point we put everything in the blender and grind, adding the butter, salt, pepper, and letting it mix well and make a very smooth cream, strain it and reserve.
Next, we preheat the oven to 130 degrees, on a tray with paper we put the slices of ham and let them dehydrate well.
We crush it when it is cold, obtaining a very fine powder.
And, with this, we would already have the recipe ready to enjoy it. Remember to keep it in the fridge, where you can keep it for up to 2 days, and enjoy it whenever you want.
What did you think of the recipe? Do not hesitate to try it and I will be delighted to see the results.
Spring mushroom cannelloni with roasted white asparagus from Tudela
Spectacular spring recipe made with the famous Tudela asparagus
- Cooking pot
- Frying pan
- blender
- Oven
- unit onion (chopped)
- 2 unit garlic
- 1 splash of olive oil (extra virgin)
- 5 gr paprika from la vera
- 1 unit Chorizo pepper pulp
- 1 shot Sherry Wine
- 330 gr seasonal mushrooms
- 1 tbsp salt
- 1/2 tbsp pepper
- 50 gr butter
- 50 cl chicken broth
-
We are going to start by putting a drizzle of olive oil, the chopped onion and the garlic in a pot, and we are going to fry everything until it has a golden color. At this point we add the pepper meat and paprika and let it cook for a few minutes. Add a little sherry wine to the ingredients that we have in the kitchen, leaving the ingredients to soak well.
Next, once we have cleaned the mushrooms, we chop them with the help of a knife, and sauté them over high heat in a frying pan, letting them brown very well. At this point we add it to the set of ingredients in the pot. With this step we ensure that the mushrooms do not release much liquid in the pot. Subsequently, we are going to fill the cannelloni with this filling and keep them in the fridge.
Then, we bring a pot with water and salt to a boil, and add the white asparagus tips, leaving them for a few minutes until they are cooked. In the same water we are going to cook the cannelloni pasta for a few minutes.
In a frying pan we are going to put a little oil to fry with the remains of asparagus, letting them fry, but without turning a dark color. Add the chicken broth and cook until everything is cooked. At this point we put everything in the blender and grind, adding the butter, salt, pepper, and letting it mix well and make a very smooth cream, strain it and reserve.
Next, we preheat the oven to 130 degrees, on a tray with paper we put the slices of ham and let them dehydrate well.
We crush it when it is cold, obtaining a very fine powder.
And, with this, we would already have the recipe ready to enjoy it. Remember to keep it in the fridge, where you can keep it for up to 2 days, and enjoy it whenever you want.
