Summary
Mallorca boasts a cuisine that looks to the sea but has its roots in the land. Sobrasada, ensaimada, tumbet, frit mallorquí. In this guide: Mallorcan-style cod: Balearic tradition with a modern twist, Ingredients for 4 people, Preparation of the vegetable base.
Mallorcan-style cod: Balearic tradition with a modern twist
Mallorca boasts a cuisine that looks to the sea but has its roots in the land. Sobrasada, ensaimada, tumbet, frit mallorquí. Products with character, flavors unlike anything else. And when cod—that traveler of the North Atlantic—meets Mallorcan sobrasada and honey from the Serra de Tramuntana, something special happens.
Classic Mallorcan-style cod is a stew with seasonal vegetables, olive oil, and sofrito. But the version that has become famous in the new Balearic cuisine combines cod loins with a thin layer of gratinated sobrasada and a touch of honey. Salty, spicy, sweet, unctuous. All at once.
This is not a recent invention or a restaurant fad. Mallorcan farmers have been eating bread with sobrasada and honey for generations. Applying that combination to cod is a natural extension. It was done by the cooks in the cellers (the winery-restaurants in the inland villages) and from there it spread to the menus of restaurants in Palma.
Ingredients for 4 people
For the cod with sobrasada:
- 4 desalinated cod loins (150 g each, thick)
- 120 g of Mallorcan sobrasada (the more artisanal, the better)
- 4 tablespoons of honey (rosemary or orange blossom from Mallorca)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Ground black pepper
For the vegetable base (simplified tumbet):
- 2 medium potatoes
- 1 medium eggplant
- 2 red peppers
- 300 g crushed tomatoes
- 2 cloves of garlic
- Olive oil for frying
- Salt
The sobrasada: use Mallorcan sobrasada with a protected geographical indication. The one made from Mallorcan black pig (porc negre) is the most highly valued: it has a deeper flavor and a creamier texture. Industrial sobrasada works, but the difference is very noticeable in a dish where it is the star ingredient.
Preparation of the vegetable base
This base is a simplified version of tumbet, Mallorca's quintessential accompaniment. It is prepared in layers and can be made in advance.
- Potatoes. Peel them and cut them into half-centimeter slices. Fry them in plenty of olive oil over medium heat for 8-10 minutes, until golden and tender. Drain them on absorbent paper. Season lightly with salt.
- Eggplant. Cut it into half-centimeter slices (unpeeled). Fry them in the same oil for 3-4 minutes per side, until golden and soft. Drain them. Eggplant absorbs a lot of oil: don't be alarmed, it's normal.
- Peppers. Cut them into wide strips. Fry them for 5-6 minutes until tender and the skin begins to wrinkle.
- Tomato sauce. In a clean pan, heat a tablespoon of oil and sauté the sliced garlic cloves for 1 minute. Add the crushed tomatoes and cook for 12-15 minutes over medium-low heat until it thickens.
- Assemble the layers. In an oven-safe dish, place a layer of potatoes, then eggplant, then peppers, and cover with the tomato sauce. Set aside.
Cod with sobrasada and honey: step-by-step
- Preheat the oven to 200 °C with top and bottom heat.
- Sear the cod. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Sear the cod loins for 2 minutes on the flesh side. Do not cook on the skin side yet. Remove.
- Spread with sobrasada. With a spatula or your fingers, spread a thin layer of sobrasada (about 30 g per loin) over the top of each loin (the flesh side, the one you just seared). Don't put too much: sobrasada has a powerful flavor and too much can overpower the cod.
- Place on the vegetables. Place the loins on the vegetable base, with the sobrasada facing up.
- Bake. Place the dish in the oven for 10-12 minutes. The sobrasada will partially melt, forming a reddish, shiny crust over the cod.
- Honey. Remove the dish from the oven. Drizzle each loin with a tablespoon of honey. If desired, return to the oven for 2 minutes with the grill on so the honey caramelizes slightly. Watch carefully: honey burns quickly.
Serve immediately. The visual contrast is spectacular: the white cod, the red sobrasada, the golden honey, the colorful vegetables underneath.
The sobrasada-honey-cod balance
This dish works because of the balance of three forces. The sobrasada provides fat, spices (paprika, pepper), and an intense, almost meaty flavor. The honey provides sweetness, which softens the spiciness of the sobrasada and highlights the natural saltiness of the cod. And the cod, with its flaky texture and clean flavor, acts as a canvas for the other two.
If the sobrasada dominates too much, the dish becomes heavy. If there isn't enough honey, it will be salty and dry. If the cod isn't of sufficient quality, it won't hold up to the other flavors. Everything has to be in proportion.
My recommendation: 30 g of sobrasada per loin and a level tablespoon of honey. If you try it and want more, add it. But start with moderation.
Variations and traditional Mallorcan cuisine
Bacalao amb tumbet. The most classic version omits sobrasada and honey. It is simply fried or baked cod served over a complete tumbet (potato, eggplant, pepper, tomato). A hearty dish, with peasant roots, eaten in the cellers of the island's interior.
Mallorcan-style cod with raisins and pine nuts. A preparation that reflects the Arab influence on Balearic cuisine. The cod is stewed with onion, tomato, raisins, pine nuts, and a touch of cinnamon. It is a sweet and sour, fragrant dish, reminiscent of medieval cuisine.
Greixonera de bacalao. A kind of savory pie made in a greixonera (a Mallorcan earthenware casserole). Layers of flaked cod alternated with potato, spinach, beaten egg, and cheese. It is baked until set. It's a dish for using up leftovers, perfect for using up leftover cod from the previous day.
To accompany, a white wine from Binissalem or Pla i Llevant. The Prensal Blanc and Moll varieties are indigenous and have just the right structure to accompany sobrasada without competing with it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use white pork sobrasada?
Yes, it's the most common and works well. Black pig sobrasada (porc negre mallorquí) has a deeper flavor and a more spreadable texture, but it is more expensive and harder to find outside of Mallorca. With the standard one, you will get an excellent result.
What honey is best for this dish?
Rosemary or orange blossom honey. Both are mild, floral, without aggressive flavors. Avoid dark honeys like holm oak or forest honey: they have a bitterness that can clash with the sobrasada. The honey should be liquid, not crystallized, so it can be easily drizzled.
Is tumbet mandatory?
No. You can serve the cod with sobrasada and honey on a simple bed of roasted potatoes or even mashed potatoes. Tumbet makes it a more complete and more Mallorcan dish, but if you're in a hurry, skip it.
Can I make this dish without an oven?
Yes. Sear the cod in a pan, spread with sobrasada, cover the pan and cook on very low heat for 5-6 minutes. The sobrasada will melt with the heat. Add the honey when serving. You won't get the gratinated effect, but the flavor will be very similar.
Is it a high-calorie dish?
With the complete tumbet, about 520-580 kcal per serving. The sobrasada and the fried vegetables add calories. Without tumbet, just the cod with sobrasada and honey is around 350-380 kcal. It's a dish to enjoy, not to count calories.
Does it work well with other fish?
The sobrasada-honey combination works with any firm-fleshed white fish: hake, monkfish, sea bass. Also with large prawns. Desalinated cod, due to its compact texture and saltiness, is the one that best holds up to sobrasada. With more delicate fish, reduce the amount of sobrasada by half.
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