every summer of my childhood growing up in the uk was spent on the spanish island of majorca with my family. my grandparents had a place near puerto andratx with stunning views of the sea and the harbour, and we had the greatest time discovering different beaches, talking walks in the mountains, or wandering around the sleepy town. i have the fondest of memories attached to that place and hope to return one day soon, especially now that i’m living in the uk again!
for now, i can only try and replicate little parts of my experiences in majorca, like this dish. typically, it’s served as a side to meat, but tonight phil and i had it as our main dish with some salad. think of it as a sort of spanish ratatouille.
cheesy tumbet
this takes a full hour to get just right, so don’t expect a quick and easy meal (like i do). the recipe below is based on this one from waitrose.
the particulars:
- 1 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 tbsp oregano
- 2 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 aubergine (eggplant), sliced
- 1 red pepper, halved, deseeded, and sliced
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 2 large potatoes, peeled and sliced
- grated goat’s cheese
- preheat the oven to 200ºC, gas mark 6. in a pan combine the chopped tomatoes, oregano, garlic and 1 tsp of the oil, season and simmer over a medium heat for 10 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.
- meanwhile, toss the aubergine/eggplant, pepper and onion in the remaining oil and season. arrange over the base of a roasting tin and cook in the oven for 10 minutes. in a casserole dish, layer up the roasted vegetables with the sliced potatoes and tomato sauce, seasoning each layer. finish with a layer of potatoes, and then tomato sauce. cover with kitchen foil.
- bake for 45–50 minutes until the vegetables are tender and the top is golden, removing the kitchen foil half way through cooking and add the grated cheese to the top. leave to stand for 5 minutes for the flavours to settle before serving.
lesson learned: the potatoes weren’t the greatest since they hadn’t been par-boiled beforehand. that may be the secret to a better tumbet.
