Try this typical Mallorcan dish, where a range of meat, spices and vegetables come together with dark, flavoursome rice.
(for 10 people)
Total time: 90 min
kcal per portion: 500 kcal
Difficulty:
Arròs brut (‘dirty rice’) is a typical Mallorcan recipe, known for its dark spicy broth. Its rural origins date back to the need to use ingredients from the garden and leftover meat from days before. Traditionally, arròs brut is prepared with a mix of meats including chicken, rabbit, pork and even pigeon. It goes with spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg and saffron, which, together with the chopped liver, giving it its dark colour and deep flavour. This dish is served freshly made, and is ideal to enjoy in a warm, family atmosphere.
Main ingredients (for 10 people):
300 g rice
300 g pork shoulder
300 g chicken
250 g rabbit
100 g pigeon
100 g onion
150 g green beans
1/8 bunch of fresh parsley
100 g Ramallet tomatoes
5 g salt and pepper to taste
Half a lemon
1 cinnamon stick
3 garlic cloves
100 ml olive oil
50 g rabbit or chicken liver
100 g oyster mushrooms
Instructions:
Clean and chop the meat into medium-sized pieces, keeping the bone in to intensify the flavour.
In a large pot, brown each meat one by one in the following order: pork, rabbit, pigeon and chicken. Remove and set aside.
In the same pan, add the chopped onion and cook until it sweats. Add the grated tomato and cook for a few minutes.
Add enough water or chicken stock to cook the rice. Add the shredded oyster mushrooms and the chopped green beans. Cook for 25 minutes.
After this time, add the rice and salt and pepper to taste. Add the cinnamon stick to give it its classic aromatic touch.
In a small frying pan, brown the liver and garlic. Then, crush them with a pestle and mortar with the lemon juice and chopped parsley to make a mince.
Add the mince to the rice a few minutes before the end of the cooking time to deepen the flavour. Add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve piping hot, ideal for a family gathering.
How to Best Enjoy Mallorcan Arròs Brut:
This rice is perfect for the cold months, when its deep, spicy flavours are best appreciated. It is usually served with Mallorcan olives, strips of seasoned green peppers, or even fresh radishes and carrots. The perfect drink to go with this dish is a young red wine from the region. Dish Variants
Arròs Brut can be adapted depending on the seasons and harvest time:
Arròs brut de matances: With extra pork.
Arròs brut amb esclata-sangs: For some extra flavour, add these milkcap mushrooms from the Russulaceae family, known locally as esclata-sangs, typical of Mallorca in autumn.
This recipe has been prepared by the chefs of the reputable Balearic School of Hospitality and Catering of the Balearic Islands.