Embutidos & Sobrasada - Mallorquin Sausage Here's what you Need to KnoW

Embutidos & Sobrasada - Mallorquin Sausage Here's what you Need to KnoW #

Embutidos, those cured, dry suspended sausages that everyone’s seen ‘hanging around’ the supermarket.There’s lots of types; the most common probably being Sobrasada, but the Catalan “Butifarra” and Mallorca’s very own version - the “Camaiot”, are all varieties you’ll frequently encounter - especially when visiting some of the many charming markets[[Hyperlink to article about Markets]] around the island.

So, what’s the big deal with these sausages? #

Well, first of all - aside from being delicious - they play a huge role in local culture. Typically, as the weather starts cooling down around November, the matanzas (slaughters) would take place. The sausages were, in a practical sense, made in the interest of utilizing all of the animal, as well as having a product that could be preserved throughout the winter. Often, especially during the festive months, entire neighborhoods would gather together to share in this tasty surplus of cheap produce.

But wait! It gets even more interesting.

Going back some 789 years, King Jaime I lead an invasion through Santa Ponsa in 1229, known historically as The Conquest of Mallorca. If, like myself, you’re keen on history and would like to learn more of the kings exploits, there’s a fantastic book in Spanish on Amazon called La cruzada Albigense y el Imperio Aragonés

A Recipe for a Delicious Sobrasada Snack #

Meanwhile, simply pick the sobrasada apart with your hands to form a spreadable mix.

Once you have your melted, spreadable cheese[[LINK TO Mallorcan Cheeses ARTICLE]] and sobrasada - without mixing them - apply each to a slice of bread. Join the bread together, remove the piece that previously held the sobrasada on top, so that you’re left with a single piece of bread with some cheese[[LINK TO Mallorcan Cheeses ARTICLE]] and sobrasada on it. Take a bite, and prepare to reach Nirvana.

Sobrasada Pastries #

Remove the skin from 150 grs of sobrasada, cut in pieces of about 2 cms lenth, fry them in a slightly oiled pan. Set on kitchen paper to absorb the grease. Pre-heat the oven (180°C), roll out a sheet of puff pastry, cut out rounds (e.g. using a water glass), spread the sobrasada on one half and fold over the other half, giving the pastry edges a lick of egg yolk as glue and, with your thumb, firmly pressing down the edges. Perforate the top of each pastry several times with a fork, glaze with egg yoolk and put in the oven for 20 minutes. Eat hot or cold. Delicious!

Enjoy!