The Kitchen of the Cim i Tomba of Tossa de Mar 2024

The gastronomic campaign of La Cocina del Cim i Tomba returns to Tossa de Mar during the month of September. The participating restaurants are members of the Tossense Traditional Cuisine collective and offer a special menu with a first course, Cim i Tomba as a second course, and dessert.

The origin of the Cim i Tomba is deeply rooted in the Tossa seafaring tradition. Before, when going fishing under sail or rowing meant being away from home for many hours, the fishermen from Tossa would take a stove, some coal, a mortar and an iron pot with them to the boat. They also carried a basket with potatoes, onions, garlic, tomatoes and peppers, as well as oil and whatever spices they had (salt, pepper, saffron, etc.).

When it was time to eat, they put the sliced onion and potatoes, the crushed vegetables, and a few cloves of garlic in the pot. They added the fish rejected from the catch, the one that came out broken from the net and they knew they could not sell (sharkfish, lucerna, spider, rat, monkfish, cat, etc...), a good jet of oil, and covered it of water, letting it all cook together over rapid heat.

Meanwhile, they took a mortar, made a very abundant aioli that they put on top of the fish when it was almost cooked, and let it boil for 2 to 5 more minutes. Then they removed it from the fire and they already had it ready to eat. It was a very primary fish and vegetable dish and very simple to make, but very good.

Currently, most restaurateurs prepare the Cim i Tomba with monkfish, turbot or dogfish (manta ray or written) but there are also cooks who do it with scorpion fish or other fish from our coast that have strong meat, so that do not fall apart during cooking. All the restaurants that participate in the La Cocina del Cim i Tomba campaign follow the original recipe, although each chef does it a little bit for himself, adding his own creative touch.

Do not miss it!