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Tumbet
Tumbet mallorquí: Mallorca's layered bake of fried potato, aubergine and red pepper under tomato sauce
Come August, every Mallorcan village kitchen has a clay greixonera of tumbet cooling on the counter, made with the aubergines and peppers that pile up at the Saturday markets in Sineu and Santanyí. Potato, aubergine and red pepper are each fried on their own, stacked in layers and blanketed with a thick, garlicky tomato sauce, then baked until it all settles together. Islanders eat it warm or at room temperature, as a meal with bread or beside grilled fish or lamb. It tastes even better the next day. Chef's tip: fry each vegetable in its own batch and drain it on paper, because every layer needs its own browned edges and nothing should arrive in the dish swimming in oil.
- Total time
- 105 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the vegetables
For the tomato sauce
To serve
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Method
0/8 doneStep 1: Lay the 2 aubergines slices on a tray, sprinkle with half the 1 tsp salt and leave for 20 minutes until beads of water appear. Rinse and pat completely dry; wet slices spit and soak up oil.
20 minStep 2: Heat about 1 cm of the ¾ cup olive oil in a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the 1 ⅓ lb waxy potatoes in batches for 8–10 minutes, turning once, until golden and tender when pierced. Drain on kitchen paper and season with a little of the remaining salt.
20 minStep 3: In the same oil, fry the aubergine slices in batches for 3–4 minutes a side until deep golden and creamy inside. Drain well on paper. A common mistake is crowding the pan: the slices then steam, go grey and turn greasy.
15 minStep 4: Fry the 3 red peppers strips for 6–8 minutes until soft and blistered at the edges. Drain.
8 minStep 5: For the sauce, heat the rest of the ¼ cup olive oil in a saucepan over a medium-low heat. Cook the 1 onion for 10 minutes until soft and golden, add the 4 cloves garlic for 1 minute, then the 1 ¾ lb ripe tomatoes, 1 tsp sugar, 1 bay leaf and ½ tsp black pepper.
12 minStep 6: Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 15–20 minutes, stirring now and then, until thick enough that a spoon drawn across the base leaves a clear trail. Remove the bay leaf and add salt to taste.
18 minStep 7: Heat the oven to 350°F. Layer the potatoes in a clay or ovenproof dish, then the aubergine, then the peppers, spooning a little sauce between layers. Spread the rest of the sauce over the top.
5 minStep 8: Bake for 15–20 minutes until the sauce bubbles at the edges. Rest 10 minutes, scatter with 1 tbsp flat-leaf parsley if you like and serve warm or at room temperature.
20 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 420 kcal
- Protein
- 6 g
- Carbs
- 42 g
- Fat
- 26 g
- Fibre
- 9 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does tumbet take?
- About 105 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 75 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of waxy potatoes?
- Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).
- What can I use instead of red peppers?
- Any colour of bell pepper, same amount.
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