A journey of flavours with Mallorcan frit and a good wine

Baleària invites us to enjoy a new food and wine pairing on board the crossing from Barcelona to Alcúdia. We are certainly eager to try it, and Baleària makes it very easy with the daily routes connecting the Balearic Islands and Catalonia, allowing us to travel in complete comfort between two regions with distinctive landscapes, rich cultures and beautiful heritage.

The idea is to welcome and accompany passengers boarding in Barcelona with a pairing based on the food and wine products of Mallorca. We often say it, but it is worth repeating: this island has a great deal to express through its kitchens and wineries, which offer us traditional dishes and wines with a distinguished heritage.

Mallorcan frit is one of the most emblematic dishes of Mallorca’s traditional inland, rural cuisine. Scholars do not agree on the origin of the recipe. Some believe it evolved from medieval tradition, while others attribute it to Semitic influences because of its similarity to certain dishes in Sephardic Jewish and Arab cuisine. What is certain is that the recipe was already mentioned in the Llibre de Sent Soví, the medieval cookbook by an anonymous author published in 1324.

 

 

It should also be noted that there is no single recipe for Mallorcan frit, and its name may even change according to the ingredients. At its core, it is a dish fried in olive oil with pieces of meat, liver, heart, lungs and cooked blood, usually pork, together with garlic and chillies, seasoned with pepper, bay leaf, fennel, cloves and cinnamon. It also includes potatoes, red peppers and spring onions, all fried. Depending on the time of year, fresh broad beans and artichokes may be added to the casserole with the meat and spices once the other ingredients have been cooked.

When prepared during the pig-slaughter season, the dish is known as ‘frit de matances’. When the pork is replaced with lamb, it becomes ‘frit de Pasqua’. There is even a seafood version made with ingredients such as cuttlefish, mussels, prawns and monkfish, known as ‘frit mariner’.

 

 

To accompany this delicacy, we have chosen Vinya Son Fangos Negre Eco by Vins Toni Gelabert (Pla i Llevant Designation of Origin). It is a blend of native Mallorcan grape varieties, Manto Negro and Callet, with a small amount of Merlot. The wine is aged for twelve months in French and American oak barrels.

The aromatic intensity of this red wine, defined by aromas of red fruit, together with its lively acidity and the body imparted by ageing, will perfectly balance the powerful flavours of the frit, particularly the offal and vegetables fried in olive oil. The aromas of fennel and rosemary, combined with the sweet spice notes from the ageing process, will enhance the dish’s aromatic and flavour profile. The two elements will reinforce one another and heighten the overall sensory experience of the pairing. Enjoy your meal and have a wonderful journey!