History

Arròs brut means dirty rice, which describes the colour rather than the cooking. It is an inland dish from the hunting season, built on rabbit, pigeon, pork ribs and whatever mushrooms the hills gave, with sobrassada and a spice mix of cinnamon, clove and saffron worked into the broth. Unlike a paella it is served loose and wet, in a deep dish, and it is winter food. Celler Sa Premsa near the Mercat de l'Olivar has served it in Palma since 1958.

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Make it at home

Yield Serves 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 1 hr 30 minDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 1 rabbit, jointed
  • 300g pork ribs, cut short
  • 100g sobrassada
  • 300g short-grain rice
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 2 tomatoes, grated
  • 150g mixed mushrooms
  • 1 red pepper, diced
  • 1.6 litres chicken stock
  • 1 tsp sweet paprika
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 cloves
  • Pinch of saffron
  • Olive oil
  • Salt

Method

  1. Brown the rabbit and pork ribs in olive oil in a wide, deep pan, then set the meat aside.
  2. Soften the onion and pepper in the same pan, then add the grated tomato and cook down for 10 minutes.
  3. Stir in the sobrassada until it melts into the base, then add the paprika, cinnamon, cloves and saffron.
  4. Return the meat, add the stock and the mushrooms, and simmer covered for 45 minutes.
  5. Add the rice, check the seasoning and cook uncovered for 17 minutes, keeping the broth loose.
  6. Rest for 5 minutes off the heat and serve in deep bowls with the broth still soupy.

Tip from the editors. Keep it wetter than you think. Arròs brut should pour off the spoon, not sit like a paella.

Where to eat arròs brut

Arròs brut in Palma

Celler Sa Premsa ★ 4.0

€€ SpanishCasco Antiguo

Celler Sa Premsa has poured from wine barrels near Palma's Mercat de l'Olivar since 1958, serving arròs brut, sopes mallorquines and gató almond cake.

OrderArròs brut, then gató almond cake with almond ice cream.

TipThe set lunch is the cheapest route into a proper Mallorcan celler meal in central Palma.

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