Studying abroad and living with a host mother comes with a lot of great benefits – a homey atmosphere, someone to talk to and practice my Spanish with, and lots of local knowledge, to name a few. Yet, possibly my favorite aspect of living with her is the food. If I died and went to heaven, I am positive that this woman would be there, greeting me with homemade croquettas. My jeans may have become a little tighter, but my stomach has never been happier.
One of her specialties is a super simple local dish that’s called tumbet. It is one of the typical foods of the island of Mallorca, and consists of three main ingredients – eggplant, potato, and tomato sauce. The three things go together like peanut butter and jelly, and are also paired well with a side of meat or a fried egg.
With the help of Google translate and some real-life demonstrations, I finally managed to get her special recipe.
Photo Credit: catavino.net
Ingredients:
- 2 large eggplants
- 2 large potatoes
- Olive Oil
- Salt/Pepper
- Homemade or store bought plain tomato sauce
- 2 Bay leaves
- Oregano
Instructions:
- Slice the potatoes (peeled) and eggplants into several round, disk-like circles. They should be fine, only about a quarter of an inch thick.
- Salt all the discs, and allow them to sit for about 20 minutes to absorb it. Rinse.
- Fry eggplant and potato in a sauté pan with a good amount of olive oil.
- On a round serving dish, lay the potato slices to build the bottom layer. They should cover the bottom of the plate.
- Repeat with a layer of eggplant.
- In a small sauté pan, mix some olive oil, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf to make the first sauce. Drizzle this on after ever two layers of eggplant and potato.
- Add as many layers of potato and eggplant as your heart desires, and drizzle more of the olive oil on top.
- Once your stack is complete, heat the tomato sauce with salt, pepper, and the other bay leaf. Lay this sauce across the top, and sprinkle with oregano.
Photo Credit: mallorcacuisine.com
This dish can be served hot or cold. Give this recipe a try. Trust me; it will change your life.
- Abby Rasweiler