6 typical Mallorcan summer recipes
In Mallorca, every dish is accompanied by a trempó, and any meal, dinner, or snack can be solved with a pa amb oli, especially in summer. The summer heat encourages minimal time spent in the kitchen.
Additionally, the Mallorcan countryside influences the season’s gastronomy: potatoes, peppers, eggplants, tomatoes… To make the most of these products, MonPort has selected 6 typical summer recipes from Mallorca.
Granada
This is not the fruit, which is typical of early autumn, but a Mallorcan dish that is a hit wherever it is prepared. You could say it’s like a vegetable pie, but completely revamped in the purest Mallorcan style.
It is made with eggplants, either fried, boiled, or steamed, minced meat, eggs, onions, and milk, and it is accompanied by homemade fried tomato sauce. It is usually topped with breadcrumbs and strips of roasted red peppers, but this depends on each family’s recipe.
This pie is gratinated before serving and can be eaten hot or cold, accompanied by rice, potatoes, or simply a salad.
Escudella Fresca
In summer, confit beans (mongetes de confit) and other types of legumes are harvested, allowing you to enjoy a hearty dish without overheating.
Escudella fresca is made with fresh beans, tomatoes, potatoes, and zucchini, all cooked in chicken broth, or vegetable broth if you prefer a vegetarian version.
The most characteristic feature is that the stew is allowed to cool, to be eaten either warm or cold, making for a delicious summer stew.
Pickled Fish
Mackerel, horse mackerel, or skate are the varieties typically used for pickling, as they are also the most economical at this time of year. This recipe is used to preserve food for longer and is based on vinegar and olive oil.
Normally, the fish is cleaned, breaded, and accompanied by cooked vegetables before being covered with the pickling mixture. This results in a product to be eaten cold, accompanying salads, bread with tomato, or potatoes. Additionally, you can skip the frying and immerse the cooked fish in the vinegar and oil emulsion.
Summer Mallorcan Soups
Another option to enjoy vegetables, at room temperature, and with seasonal products. Summer Mallorcan soups are made with onions, peppers, vine tomatoes, and Mallorcan soup bread.
This type of bread is cut into very thin slices and left to dry or toasted to make it crispy. Despite being called “soup,” this is not a typical spoon dish, as the bread absorbs all the broth, leaving a meal that can be accompanied by eggs and is very nutritious.
Tumbet
This is one of the star recipes of the season. It is made with eggplant, pepper, and potato, which are cut into slices and fried separately. Then, they are layered alternately, like a lasagna or moussaka, and topped with homemade fried tomato sauce.
It is quite a heavy dish, so it is ideally accompanied by grilled meat or a simple omelet. In this case, you need to spend a little time in the kitchen because the process of cleaning, cutting, and frying all the vegetables is a bit long, but the result is spectacular.
Mallorcan Lobster
In the past, lobster was considered food for fishermen and humble people in Mallorca. It was prepared in the Mallorcan way, which, although not as famous as its Menorcan counterpart, is also delicious.
A caldereta is made with the lobster, usually accompanied by rice, although the main ingredient is not the lobster but the tender onions, which should melt in your mouth.
In this dish, it is essential to soak up the sauce with bread.