Winter and January in Mallorca are synonymous with festa grossa — ‘celebration in style’ — with two important events: Sant Sebastià, patron saint of Palma, and Sant Antoni, patron saint of animals in the Part Forana area of the island. And, of course, a good fiesta always honours its gastronomic traditions.
“Everything but the squeak”. This popular saying truly reflects the key role that pigs have played in the diet of Mallorcan families descended from farming backgrounds. When the cold weather arrives, it’s time for the slaughter, of which the islanders truly make an event: chorizo-likesobrassades, soft cured llonganisses, raw pork-bacon xulla, blood-stained botifarrons, camaiot mixed pork sausages and saïm lard are just some of the foods that are roasted over the fire during the revetla of Sant Sebastià and the Sant Antoni celebrations.
Espinagades and coques: Sant Antoni delicacies
Sa Pobla offers a very special original recipe: espinagada. This is pasta stuffed with spinach, chard, parsley, spring onion, peas and garlic. To prepare it, take 250 ml of oil, 250 ml of water and two large spoonfuls of lard, then add 1 kg of flour little by little while kneading. To shape the espinagada, place the dough on onionskin paper in a rectangular shape, then fill and seal the product. Bake it for about 35 minutes at 180 degrees. The espinagada poblera features a distinctive ingredient — the eel, typical of the Albufera. They will also surprise you with a multitude of versions: gató or mussola (fish), meat (usually loin or cabbage), sultanas and pebre bord (paprika).
Coca pastries are also typical of these festivities and may contain fish, vegetables, parsley or pebres vermells torrats (roasted red peppers). You’ll find cocas with pumpkin, xulla and sobrassada; coques de Sant Antoni which are typical of the town of Artà and contain stalks of sobrassada or llonganissa, or cocas with sugar and apricot. This delicacy, a must on Mallorcan tables, is accompanied by juice and wine.
To make sure you don’t miss out, here’s the recipe to make your own Sant Antoni cocas: 400 g of strong flour, 75 g of sugar, 40 ml of water, 2 small eggs, 165 g of potatoes, 20 g of fresh yeast, 80 g of lard, sobrassada or llongonissa. Boil the potatoes in their skins and mash them with a fork. Add the butter, the yeast dissolved in water, sugar and eggs. Add the sifted flour little by little and knead. Leave the dough to rise for 3 to 4 hours. Spread it in a baking tin lined with greaseproof paper and greased with oil on the sides. Put the pieces of sobrassada in place, leave them to ferment for 2 to 3 hours, preheat the oven to 160 degrees and bake for approximately 25 minutes. Once cold, sprinkle with icing sugar. They’ll then be ready to enjoy!
