Fosh - Modern Mediterranean: sun-drenched recipes from Mallorca and beyond

To my late father; thank you for your constant encouragement and support throughout my career. To Jessica, Bruno & Gabriela; may you learn to love food as much as I do and may all your meals be happy ones with love and laughter.

Modern Mediterranean
Marc Fosh

First published in the UK and USA in 2019 by
Nourish, an imprint of Watkins Media Limited
Unit 11, Shepperton House, 8393 Shepperton Road
London N1 3DF

Copyright Watkins Media Limited 2019
Text copyright Marc Fosh Limited 2019
Photography copyright Nando Esteva 2019

For copyright of other photographs see
which is to be regarded as an extension of this
copyright

The right of Marc Fosh to be identified as the Author of this text has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without permission in writing from the publisher, except by a reviewer who may quote brief passages in a review.

Commissioning Editor: Kate Fox
Managing Editor: Daniel Hurst
Head of Design: Georgina
Hewitt Production: Uzma Taj
Copy Editor: Emily Preece-Morrison
Commissioned Photography: Nando Esteva

A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library

ISBN: 978-1-848993-70-9

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

Typeset in Walbaum
Colour reproduction by XY Digital
Printed in China

Publishers note

While every care has been taken in compiling the recipes for this book, Watkins Media Limited, or any other persons who have been involved in working on this publication, cannot accept responsibility for any errors or omissions, inadvertent or not, that may be found in the recipes or text, nor for any problems that may arise as a result of preparing one of these recipes. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding or have any special dietary requirements or medical conditions, it is advisable to consult a medical professional before following any of the recipes contained in this book.

Notes on the recipes

Unless otherwise stated:

Use medium fruit and vegetables

Use medium (US large) organic or free-range eggs

Use fresh herbs, spices and chillies

Use granulated sugar (Americans can use ordinary granulated sugar when caster sugar is specified) Do not mix metric, imperial and US cup measurements:

1 tsp = 5ml 1 tbsp = 15ml 1 cup = 240ml

nourishbooks.com

INTRODUCTION

IN SEARCH OF SUNSHINE

I first came to live and work in Mallorca almost twenty-five years ago. I received my chefs training in London and cut my teeth in the citys Michelin-starred restaurants, which at that time had a focus on traditional, French techniques with a reliance on cream and butter. Searching for a little sunshine and a lighter approach to cooking, I then spent three wonderful years cheffing my way around the Basque city of San Sebastin the food capital of Spain before finally arriving in Mallorca with a new passion for the food and produce of the Mediterranean and a thirst to learn more. Compared to the culinary mecca of San Sebastin, the gastronomic scene in Mallorca was much more sedate, but the islands unique climate meant that the local produce was spectacular. I immediately knew that this would be a wonderful place to open a restaurant.

Before coming to Mallorca, I had no idea how beautiful and diverse the island actually is. When you fly over it for the first time, you soon realise that the island is very green, with wonderful mountain ranges and some of the most stunning coastline of the Mediterranean. Driving around, the incredibly beautiful scenery is filled with almond, olive and orange groves. I very quickly fell in love.

The regional cuisine of Mallorca has its roots firmly planted in the rustic, peasant traditions of the Mediterranean, with a few Arab and Moorish influences thrown in for good measure. At first glance, there doesnt seem to be too much choice, but scratch the surface just a little and youll find that Mallorcan food is rich and varied, with some surprising flavour combinations and many interesting dishes steeped in tradition and rooted in local ingredients. Long before the arrival of tourism, fishing and farming were absolutely essential for survival on this small, Mediterranean island far from the Spanish mainland; as a result, Mallorca is bursting with amazing seasonal ingredients from its wonderful climate and rich, fertile soil.

Since those early days, Mallorcas gastronomic landscape has changed immeasurably, and it now has a very exciting and dynamic restaurant scene all over the island, where talented young chefs are cooking Mediterranean food with local ingredients and great flavours. These are the type of restaurants where you can really feel the passion and individual philosophies of each chef, and Im proud to say that many of those young chefs have at some point passed through my kitchens along the way. The islands traditional farming and agriculture system has also changed, with a wave of small producers making wonderful, artisan ingredients and local markets boasting a wide range of fantastic, locally grown foods to inspire us. Mallorca has finally become a true gastronomic destination.

MODERN MEDITERRANEAN FOOD

Its probably fair to say that, here in the Balearics, although we have always relied heavily on local produce, we took it for granted, and we certainly didnt know how to effectively sell the story of our great cooks, suppliers and producers to the outside world. When you sit down in a restaurant like ours, you will find that our organic olive oil is from my friend Pep Solivellas in the village of Pollena, and the sea salt (flor de sal) is from just along the coastline in Es Trenc. Our menu is littered with local ingredients: Soller prawns, young almonds, sea fennel, samphire, truffles and wild mushrooms from the mountains, fresh fish from the Mediterranean sea, and tender lamb and suckling pig from the surrounding fields. Add the fact that at least sixty per cent of the wines on our list are procured from the islands bodegas and made from indigenous grape varieties by small, passionate wine producers, and you start to realise that Mallorca has an amazing array of fabulous produce right on its doorstep.

Recently, the British newspaper the Telegraph asked, Is Mallorca Europes best island for foodies? I truly believe that it can be, and that we have only just started to tell our story as we write the next chapter of this beautiful islands culinary history. Mallorcas food revolution is now in full flow we have a group of innovative chefs who cook with good, local, organic and seasonal produce, who reinvent traditional, Mediterranean recipes with a modern touch while keeping alive the colours, freshness, flavours and textures of the region. We are building on the rich history, heritage and traditions of the Mediterranean and turning them into something new.