Albergínies Farcides Mallorquines

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Wide pot for boiling the aubergines
• •Colander
• •Wide frying pan
• •30 x 22cm baking dish or shallow greixonera
• •Small spoon for hollowing

Instructions

1. 1

   Boil the aubergines

   Bring a wide pot of water to a boil and salt it with the coarse salt. Trim the prickly tops from the aubergines, halve them lengthways, and lower them into the water, cut side down, using a plate to keep them under if they float. Boil gently for 10 to 14 minutes, until a small knife slides into the flesh but the skins still hold their shape. This first boil is the step that decides the dish: undercook them and they tear when you scoop, overcook them and the shells collapse.

   Choose medium aubergines, heavy for their size. The very large ones often have more seed and water, and the filling tastes thinner for it.
2. 2

   Hollow and drain

   Lift the aubergine halves into a colander, cut side down, and let them cool for 10 minutes. With a spoon, scoop out the flesh, leaving a wall about 5mm thick so each half keeps its shape. Chop the flesh finely, then press it in the colander to drive off the water. In the Margin beside this one I keep two words: escórrer bé, drain well. Watery aubergine makes a loose filling, and nobody asked for that.

3. 3

   Build the sofrito

   Heat 45ml of the olive oil in a wide frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the onion and 1/2 teaspoon of the fine salt, and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, stirring often, until the onion is soft, dark gold, and sweet. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the pork and break it up well, cooking until no pink remains and the fat glistens in the pan. Stir in the grated tomato, moraduix, parsley, black pepper, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook 8 to 10 minutes more, until the tomato has lost its raw smell and the sofrito, the slow onion base, is thick rather than wet.

4. 4

   Bind the filling

   Stir the chopped aubergine flesh into the pork sofrito and cook for 5 minutes, until the mixture holds together and no puddle of liquid sits in the pan. Take it off the heat and let it cool for 8 to 10 minutes. Taste now, before the egg goes in, and correct the salt. Stir in the beaten egg and 35g of the galleta picada or breadcrumbs. The filling should be spoonable and moist, not runny.

5. 5

   Fill and crumb

   Heat the oven to 190C. Oil a baking dish with 15ml of the olive oil. Set the aubergine shells snugly inside and spoon in the filling, mounding it gently without packing it down hard. Mix the remaining 25g galleta picada or breadcrumbs with the last 15ml olive oil and scatter it over the tops. That simple crumb cap is enough; a heavy blanket of cheese turns it into another dish.

6. 6

   Bake and rest

   Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the crumbs are golden and the filling is set at the centre. Let the aubergines rest 10 minutes before serving, so the skins settle and each half lifts cleanly from the dish. Serve warm or at room temperature, which is why they belong so well on a Mallorcan summer table. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.

Chef Tips

• •Buy aubergines in their season, when they feel heavy, shiny, and tight-skinned. A spongy aubergine gives you more water than flesh, and no careful hand can fix that completely.
• •Do not skip the draining after boiling. Press the chopped flesh gently in a colander; you want moisture left in it, not a puddle. This is what keeps the filling tender without turning loose.
• •Moraduix, fresh marjoram, is one of the quiet Mallorcan signatures here. If you use dried marjoram, use less. Dried herbs shout sooner than fresh ones.
• •Minced pork shoulder is better than very lean mince. If lean pork is all you can find, add 1 extra tablespoon of olive oil to the sofrito, or the filling will eat dry.
• •These are made for waiting. Serve them warm, but they're often better once they have sat a little and the crumbs have settled into the oil.

Advance Preparation

• •The aubergines can be boiled, hollowed, and drained up to 24 hours ahead. Keep the shells and chopped flesh covered in the refrigerator.
• •The pork filling can be made 1 day ahead, cooled, and refrigerated. Stir in the beaten egg only after the filling has cooled and just before stuffing.
• •The baked aubergines keep for 2 days covered in the refrigerator. Reheat gently at 170C, or serve at room temperature for an outdoor meal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 380g)