Arròs Brut Mallorquí

Arròs brut is Mallorcan, from the Balearic kitchen, and it earns its name honestly: brut means dirty, because the broth turns deep and speckled from liver, sobrasada, mushrooms, pepper, cinnamon, clove, and saffron. This is not a clean yellow rice and it is not a paella. It is cocina de cuchara, spoon food, loose enough to eat from a deep bowl.

The method that decides it is the broth before the rice goes in. Brown the meats well, cook the sofrito, the slow onion and tomato base, until it turns dark and sweet, then let the spices, sobrasada, liver, and mushrooms stain the pot. Only then add the rice. If the broth tastes thin at that point, the rice will not fix it. Rice is honest that way.

If you are far from Mallorca, no hace falta haber pisado España. Use a good Spanish sobrasada if you can find it; if not, use soft cured chorizo in a small amount and know it will taste smokier and less gently sweet. For mushrooms, esclata-sangs are the Mallorcan prize, but níscalos, cremini, or oyster mushrooms will do the work. Keep it brothy, serve it at once, and don't call it dry rice. Siempre sale, si lo sigues.

In the Margin beside this one I keep the warning short: rice drinks while you talk. Have everyone seated before the rice is tender, because arròs brut waits for nobody.