22 Jan ‘Bullit’, ‘guisat’ and brine, three emblematic dishes of seafood cuisine

It is surprising how the Ibiza recipe book can combine identical ingredients and culinary techniques, offering dishes with notable differences. A good example are three of the dishes that are an indispensable part of Es Torrent’s offer and the island’s gastronomic tradition: bullit, guisat and brine. The three dishes are made with the same fish: at least three different varieties, which can include the rooster of San Pedro, the grouper, the red, the tooth, the snapper or the monkfish, among others.

Starting with the difference between a bullit de peix and a guisat, although every house and restaurant has their own unique world, in Es Torrent we have it very clear: the potatoes and the all i oli. Our bullit only has fish, which is boiled with sofrito and spices. The broth is reserved to prepare a second course rice, very thin and with a few pieces of cuttlefish that, as the fishermen did, is enjoyed directly in the frying pan. Both bullit and rice a banda are served seasoned with all i oli sauce, lightened with broth.

The guisat, on the other hand, consists of a single dish with the same varieties of fish. It is also stewed with a sofrito, but also incorporates potatoes cut into large pieces. In this case, it does not carry all i oli. Both are a delicacy and a unique opportunity to taste the most excellent varieties of the Pitiusan sea in a single dish.

The third dish uses these same fish, but includes a very special dressing that is not usually found elsewhere. The raw material is also boiled with sofrito, but it is also seasoned with ground black pepper in quantity, lemon juice and brine. The result is another exquisite dish, although somewhat lighter than the previous ones.

Obviously, this is the way to prepare the three dishes that we have in Es Torrent. In other establishments, potatoes are also added to bullit and rice is even served black, with squid ink, or marinera (with broth). The question, in any case, lies in trying the three dishes and discovering which is the diner’s favourite. All of them can be found in our menu during the season.