Mallorcan Dirty Rice

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Mallorcan Dirty Rice is a rustic one-pan rice dish from the Balearic island of Mallorca, traditionally simmered with pork, rabbit, mushrooms, and the island's signature cured paprika sausage. The name comes from the deep, dusky color the rice takes on from saffron, smoked paprika, and rich bone broth. Hearty and deeply savory, it's the kind of communal dish served straight from the pan at Sunday family tables.

Nutrition Facts

Per serving (estimated)

• 615 kcalCalories
• 26 gFat
• 7 gSaturated Fat
• 58 gCarbs
• 4 gFiber
• 6 gSugar
• 36 gProtein
• 790 mgSodium
• 820 mgPotassium
• 75 mgCalcium
• 4.5 mgIron
• 28 mgVitamin C
• 90 mcgVitamin A

Ingredients

For the meats and sausage

• 1 lb pork shoulder, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 lb rabbit (or bone-in chicken thighs), cut into pieces
• 6 oz duck breast or chicken livers, diced
• 4 oz sobrassada or botifarró sausage, crumbled
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 2 dried bay leaves

For the sofrito and rice

• 1 large yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 8 oz cremini or button mushrooms, sliced
• 2 ripe tomatoes, grated (skins discarded)
• 1 tsp smoked sweet paprika (pimentón)
• 1/2 tsp saffron threads, bloomed in 2 tbsp warm water
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 5 cups warm chicken or game broth
• 2 cups Spanish short-grain rice (bomba or Calasparra)

Directions

1. Pat the pork, rabbit, duck or chicken livers, and crumbled sobrassada dry, then season with salt, pepper, and the bay leaves. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy paella pan or deep skillet over medium-high heat and brown the pork and rabbit in batches until deeply golden, about 6 to 8 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate.
2. Add the duck or chicken livers and sobrassada to the pan and cook for 3 minutes, stirring, until the liver is just cooked and the sausage starts to render its paprika-stained fat. Push everything to one side of the pan.
3. Add the onion, bell pepper, and a pinch of salt to the empty side of the pan and cook for 6 to 7 minutes until softened and lightly caramelized. Stir in the garlic and mushrooms and cook another 4 minutes until the mushrooms release their liquid and turn golden.
4. Stir in the grated tomatoes and smoked paprika and cook for 4 to 5 minutes until the mixture thickens into a thick, brick-red paste. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits, letting it reduce by half, about 3 minutes.
5. Return the browned pork and rabbit along with any collected juices to the pan, then pour in the warm broth and the bloomed saffron with its water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes to concentrate the flavors.
6. Sprinkle the rice evenly across the surface of the liquid in a thin, even layer; do not stir after this point. Adjust the heat so the liquid simmers gently and cook, uncovered, for 18 to 20 minutes, rotating the pan occasionally so the rice cooks evenly, until the rice has absorbed the broth and is just tender with a faint crust forming on the bottom.
7. Remove from the heat, drape a clean kitchen towel over the pan, and let the rice rest, covered, for 5 minutes to finish steaming. Uncover, fluff lightly with a fork, and serve straight from the pan in shallow bowls, scraping up the prized crispy bottom layer (the socarrat) as you go.

Cook’s Notes

• Bomba or Calasparra rice is essential for this dish; long-grain rice will not absorb the broth the same way and will turn mushy.
• If you cannot find rabbit, use bone-in chicken thighs and add a partridge or two quails for traditional depth.
• Sobrassada and botifarró are the soul of the dish's color and flavor, so source them from a Spanish deli rather than substituting regular chorizo, which is spicier and lacks the sweet paprika sweetness.
• Resist the urge to stir once the rice is added; letting it sit undisturbed is what builds the prized toasty bottom crust.
• Leftovers reheat beautifully the next day with a splash of broth, as the flavors continue to meld overnight in the fridge.

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