Behind the kitchens of Sa Nansa, a treasured gastronomic haven in the heart of the island, is the restaurant’s owner, the Ibizan chef, Pedro Tur Planells.
Sa Nansa opened in 2006 with the clear intention of showcasing Ibizan seafood cuisine in an urban setting, open all year round, and providing a friendly and familiar place to eat. The initial project became a way of life, offering locals and tourists alike a wide range of fresh local produce, either home grown or fished in local waters.
Pedro Tur tells us how in 2015 he also became head of the kitchen in his own restaurant: “I went into the kitchen as our chef at that time was off work, thinking it would just be for three days or so, and I never left.” “I look after the kitchen and my wife, Josefa Costa, is front of house, although I also love meeting the public, making recommendations, and discovering what my clients think, so sometimes I leave the kitchen during the shift to greet diners at all the tables” he says with a smile.
In 2013, Sa Nansa was awarded the prestigious symbol of the Michelin Guide’s black knife and fork, along with a Repsol Guide Sun, and New York’s OAD Opinion About Dining is a further accolade, placing the restaurant in the top 100 of their list of “traditional local cuisine.” Although he is pleased with these awards, this chef and entrepreneur admits that they are just symbols because “what is really important for me is that every single person who sits down in my restaurant will leave happy and contented and will recommend us”.
As an excellent ambassador for Ibiza and Ibizan cuisine, Pedro Tur explains that the island means everything to him. “I was born here and I feel Ibizan through and through, I believe that we should learn to value the island’s potential ourselves, rather than wait for outsiders to teach us about what we actually have”. “I love Ibizan cuisine and I always describe it as a culinary tradition that derives from local ingredients and survival and endurance, because if you look at the recipes for traditional dishes, everything is made with one hundred percent local produce, such as oil, potatoes or almonds”, enumerates the chef of one of the most popular restaurants on the island, thanks to the way that local produce is cherished and valued.
In this regard, Pedro Tur reveals the secret of one of the most traditional Ibizan recipes, the sofrit pagés and he gives us a few hints. “It should be made in the original way, bubbling away on the stove for four or five hours, and of course, all the products should be really fresh and from Ibiza, like a farmyard chicken, a lamb that is neither too young nor too old, Ibizan sobrasada and butifarrón local sausage, the typical patató-potato and a whole head of garlic he explains.
Sitting at his favourite table in the restaurant, where innumerable celebrities have dined, but whose identities Pedro Tur prefers to keep to himself, this chef and restaurateur tells us that he has so many anecdotes that he could tell about this very spot. “It was here that one of Sa Nansa’s star dishes was invented, scampi with fresh farm eggs and chips made from Ibizan potatoes, thanks to a suggestion by Rafael Zafra”, he recalls. “Whenever I am asked for this dish, I tell diners personally that the fried potatoes and eggs are the stars of this meal they think that I am joking, but you know what’s funny, they always end up asking for an extra ration of potatoes and Ibizan eggs” Pedro Tur declares.
Another speciality is red prawn on a bed of salt, gerret (picarel) in escabeche or pickle, the borrida de rajada – skate –bullit de peix – fish stew- and red tuna, although the dish that Pedro Tur is most fond of is his “Sa Nansa rice”. “I cooked this dish the first time at the Palacio de Cibeles when I was part of a “show cooking” event featuring a chef from all the Cultural Heritage sites. Ibiza chose me as representative, and I presented an arroz a banda rice with cuttlefish, red prawn and espardenya (sea cucumber) which was really appreciated”, Pedro Tur tells us with a smile, affirming that it is one of most popular dishes at the restaurant.
As an Ibizan and lover of Ibizan culture and life style, Pedro Tur recommends that anyone who visits the island at any time of year should not leave without trying one of the typical Ibizan dishes, either mains or desserts, and he reveals his special recommendations “of course the sofrit pagés and the bullit de huesos con col – casseroled bones and cabbage. “These are luxury dishes, for festive occasions with a long history and tradition on the island” he emphasises, and suggests “finishing with a nice walk in the country or along one of Ibiza’s beaches, and make sure your visit is the first of many”.
