GASTRONOMY
This time of the year is a good time to shop fresh caught fish at the market. If you want to learn the fish from the Mediterranean Sea, pass by the Mercado Olivar, the biggest in Palma. Season now is for the “Raor”, the reddish razorfish, the “Verderol” or “ Serviola” the amber mackerel, called in other regions in Spain “pez limon”, referring to their lemon yellow color on the belly. It is a very good fat fish (pescado azul) with fine taste, few bones and perfect for “a la plancha”. From the long side cut into 2 parts, fry with olive oil only 3 - 4 minutes with high temperature, very easy to do. The “pampol” pilot fish is another fat fish, good priced and perfect for the “plancha”. Tasting full, similar to sardines.
Autum is time for pumpkin, vegetable onions (cebolla rubia), pepper, zucchini and tomatoes in all colors and forms. Especial from the island come the Mallorquan eggplants, spinach and root vegetables.
The freshest fruits are now kaki and grenadine, grapes and pears are ripe. The robust melon “piel de Sapo” can be stored until winter, a sweet dessert on the Christmas table.
Bio farmer Marcal Ribas with his company “Apaema” keeps on his Finca Binifela at Cala Ratjada his chicken in a natural and healthy way with free exit to the fields and best herbs. The farmer has 640 young free running chicken. In a conventional farm are 20.000 to 30.000 kept in a hall for a month until fattened to be ready for slaughter. Their life is too short for a life in freedom “Pollos camperos” which you can buy in the supermarket live 56 days. They have more time for walks in freedom but no access to special green food. The bio regulation demands a minimum of 81 days. Ribas gives them 95 days. Their meat is solid, dense und aromatic. Price approx. 8,70/kg. Apaema delivers every Wednesday all over the island. Order under Tel.: 618-470173 or Tel.: 699-795325 (both as well over WhatsApp).
Good, ready and perfectly produced: conservation of fish and seafood has a big and long tradition in Spain and Portugal, to avoid damage during the hot summer period. Today high valued basic products are used, special marinades with best oil, vinegar or salt. Jaime Cibrian has his own stand in the Pere Garau market with conserves, cod in salt, herrings, olives, hot sauces from Soller and wines. The most important is the taste. Mussels, anchovies, sardines can taste so different depending on the way of preparation and the ingredients. Try anchovies on toasted white bread with butter - delicious. The fish or seafood is caught, collected, cleaned. The fish cut in filets and the fish and mussels fried or steamed and filled in tins, covered with the marinade, like oil, a vinegar-herbs-mix or salt, heated up with steam over 100 degrees. Some tins are quite expensive according to best, selected products, perfect cleaned, fish without bones, mussels without rests of sand, all hand prepared (sobada a mano). Tuna fish (bonito) should be conserved in neutral oil, best in sunflower oil, not influencing the taste. Mussels (mejillones) are best stored in olive oil, 8-12 in a tin. The best Anchovies come from Santona in Cantabria. Heart mussels (berberechos) should have 25-30 in a tin, sardine approx. 3 to 5. All conserves (tin or glass) should be stored in the fridge. Before the food they should be opened in time to get room temperature. Once open, the missing kind of oil - neutral sunflower or olive oil should be added.
FaBrick in Palmas Santa Catalina quarter is a funny decorated little restaurant run by the Italian chef Colli together with his friend Adriane. Start with an amuse-gueulle: 4 different hummus (peril, shallot, curry, tomato/oregano) with house made, crunchy thin Carasau bread from Sardinia.
Colli cooks creative and does not forget his roots, but he points out that they are not an Italian restaurant. They offer good homemade Mediterranean food with fresh ingredients from the market. There are always 3 creative dishes with home made pasta like the Tortelli from Lombardi, filled with stag meat on red wine sauce with parmesan and cacao, black Tagliatelli with pilot fish, cherry tomatoes and roe or Lasagna with mushrooms and Taleggio cheese. Fish (big head sea ash with salsify crème) and meat (pork cheeks from the Iberian pig on polenta with cheese) or duck Tataki with fermented shallots are offered and as a dessert the North Italian specialty “Tenerina”, a chocolate cake with 80% chocolate with Tonka beans. C/San Magi 84, Tel.: 610-890621, FB: FaBrick food & more.
Port Adriano restaurants "Blue Nest", "La Oca", "Sa Cantina", "Vino del Mar", "El Faro" and "La Terraza" offer in November special 3-course-menu at 16 - 18 Euro from Friday - Sunday.
A beverage (Glass of wine, beer or water) is included. Info: "Food Passion" at www.portadriano.com.
Genova, the Restaurant "Ses Coves" offers Friday - Monday from 12.30-17.30 lunch à la carte and additional rice-stew dishes (arros brut, rice with mushrooms or with actopus) at the price of 10 Euro (min 2 persons).
The entrance fee to the cave on the terrace of the restaurant is included. C. del Barranc 45, Tel.: 971-402387, FB: Cuevas de Genova.
