“Isn’t Spanish food great!” is a phrase often heard and the fact is that one of Spain’s most important claims to fame is its food. In this regard, the island of Ibiza is a foremost exponent of Spanish gastronomy. With its important seagoing tradition and a marked Mediterranean flavour, Ibizan recipes have a special character that makes them unique and delicious.
The most famous dishes in Ibizan cuisine with a taste of the sea are bullit de peix, octopus frita, rice a la marinera or grilled red prawns, and in addition to these culinary treats there are other seafood specialities that are less well known such as fish salmorra. This dish is made from fresh rock fish and resulted from the humble cooking skills of fishermen of the past. It is usually made with chunks of grouper, roja (scorpion fish), dentex or John Dory.
Fish salmorra is a seasonal dish which is made with the fish of the day and it owes its name to the sauce that goes with it, consisting of fish stock, extra virgin olive oil, lemon, salt and pepper.
To make this delicious dish, first you make a “sofrito” by gently frying tomato, green and red peppers, garlic, parsley, and salt in virgin olive oil, then water is added and when it boils, the fish is put in, first the most tender of these such as grouper or roja, and then the remainder. When the fish is cooked, it is set aside and the sauce that gives the dish its name is made with pepper, extra virgin olive oil, lemon salt and fish stock. When this sauce is ready, it is poured over the fish and served at the table. As in the case of the popular bullit de peix, any fish stock remaining will be used to prepare a rice dish –arroz a banda.
In this way the dish can be enjoyed in two parts and unlike the bullit de peix it does not include potatoes or alioli – garlic mayonnaise- and this makes for a much lighter dish. It is one that you will not find in many of the island’s restaurants, only in those that specialise in traditional seafood and Ibizan cuisine. Some of these restaurants can be found on the website www.saborsdeivissa.es.