|
THE MALTESE AND THEIR CUISINE......
One of the things that strikes most visitors to this wonderful island is the richness of things to see, one of the most common mistakes is to dash around trying to see everything. The island is full of culture, history friendly people and some great food.
Maltese cuisine has developed from the influence of the indigenous people and the many foreign invaders, who left their mark. Although long since banished the influence of the Moorish or Sicilian tastes show in the most popular of Maltese dishes. Many of the more fashionable restaurants are influenced by Italian or French Cuisine.
Maltese food is based on seasonal produce and what the fisherman catches.
When fish is abundant "Aljotta" (fish soup laden with garlic, tomatoes fresh marjoram and rice) can be found on most menu's.
Pastry is often used to encase vegetables, cheese, fish, meat and rice. One of the most common pastry dishes to be seen is sold on virtually every street corner is "Pastizzi", this is a small boat shaped delicacy of ricotta cheese and egg wrapped in a thin crispy pastry, "Pastizzi" also comes filled with peas, or anchovies, and there is a lager version filled with meat.
Maltese wines are very good value for money and in our opinion, beat some of the more expensive French wines available.
We tried in our short time there to find places that specialise in traditional if less sophisticated Maltese dishes. There are quite a few places to be found, from small family run bars specialising in the national dish "Fenek" (Rabbit0, "Bragioli" (Beef Olives) or "Lampuki Pie" (Fish), to beautiful old courtyard restaurants with more extensive menu's.
HOW ABOUT SOME MALTESE RECIPES
| Bread | Soup | Pasta | Kosksu | Timpana | Paste | Veal | Poultry | Fried Rabbit | Rabbit in wine | Sweets and Puddings on Next Page... |
Hobz
Maltese Bread
- 23 oz (600g) flour
- 10g salt
- ½ oz (15g) sugar
- ½ oz (15g) margerine
- 1 oz (25g) yeast
- 345ml luke warm water
- 1 tablespoon milk
Mix the flour, salt and margerine together. Add the yeast.
Make a mixture of the luke warm water, sugar and the milk.
Add on to the flour and knead the mixture well until the dough is white and elasticated.
Place in a bowl, seal with cling film and a wet dish towel, place in a warm place for about 1 hour.
Work the dough, cut into small pieces (50g). Place on a baking tray, paste with egg, cut with a knife and let the pieces rest for about 15 minutes.
Cook in oven 450F (232C) gas mark 6-8 for 12-15 minutes.
Back to top
Minestra
Thick Vegetable Soup
- 84g cauliflower
- 84g carrots
- 84g pumpkin
- 56g white onions
- 28g celery stick
- 21g tomato paste
- 56g rice
- 1250ml water
Slice and wash all the vegetables.
Fry the onions, till tender.
Add all vegetables except the rice.
Add the water, bring to the boil, and simmer till vegetables are cooked.
Add the washed rice. Soup must be very thick.
Back to top
Spagetti biz-zalza tal-Qarnit
Spaghetti (Pasta) with octupus sauce
- 1kg Octupus
- 224g onions
- 168g peas
- 224g tomatoes
- 112g black olives
- 250ml red wine
- 84g tomato paste
- herbs
- mint
- lemon zest
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Peel and slice the onions.
Cut the octupus into even sized pieces, fry in a little oil and water. Add the tomato paste and herbs, continue cooking for about 20 minutes. Prepare the tomato concasse, by peeling the tomatoes and chopping them finely, add to the onions. Strain the octupus but save the liquid.
Slice the olives and lemon zest. Add all remaining ingredients to the first mixture and simmer for a while.
Add the octupus liquid and simmer for another 15 minutes.
Cook spaghetti for not more than 7 minutes or till it is al dente
Back to top
Timpana
Baked (Pasta) Macaroni Pie
- 1.5 lb. short pastry
- 1.5 lb. macaroni
- 1 lb minced meat
- 4 oz (100g) chicken liver
- 6 oz (150g) peeled tomatoes
- 4 oz (100g) chopped onion
- 2 oz (50g) grated cheese
- 2 oz (50g) tomato paste
- 1/4 pt water
- 2 hard boiled eggs
- 4 eggs
- clove of garlic
- olive oil
- salt and pepper
Fry the onion and garlic.
Add the meat and liver, fry till it is cooked. Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Cook for a few seconds.
Slowly add the water and simmer till the meat is tender.
Boil the macaroni, drain and cool. Chop the hard boiled eggs. Mix everything and season.
Roll the pastry into a greased dish. Pour the mixture and cover with the pastry. Brush the top with egg wash. Cook in a moderate to hot oven.
Back to top
Kosksu Bil-Ful
Kosksu (Pasta) with Broad Beans
- 10 oz (250g) Kosksu
- 1 onion
- 5 oz (125g) peeled broad beans
- 3 oz (75g) peeled tomatoes
- 2 oz (50g) tomato paste
- garlic
- mixed herbs
- 2 pts water
Chop the onion and garlic. Fry in a little olive oil till golden brown.
Add the chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Add some mixed herbs, and the water.
Bring to the boil, add the kosksu, and simmer till cooked.
Add the broad beans 10 mins before removing from the cooker.
Tip: Kosksu is small pasta that looks like shotgun pellets. It is manufactured in Malta
Back to top
Bigilla
Broad Bean Paste
- 500g Broad Beans
- Olive Oil
- Chopped Parsley
- Salt & Pepper
- 4 Crushed Garlic Cloves
- A Pinch of Bicarbonate of Soda
If you're using dried broad beans, you must first soak them for two days in salted water with the bicarbonate of soda mixed in. The water must be changed after the first day. This will soften the beans.
After the second day, cook the beans in fresh water.
Bring the water to a boil and let simmer until the beans are cooked. Drain and mince the beans.
Mix in the olive oil, parsley and crushed garlic and make into a paste. For best taste, serve hot.
Tip: Bigilla is a Maltese snack that used to be sold during the cold, damp winter months.
Back to top
Fenek Moqli
Fried Rabbit
Serves 4
- 1 jointed rabbit
- 1 dessertspoon tomato pur�e
- 1 whole head of garlic
- ¼ pint water
- Oil for frying
Place the tomato pur�e and the water in a deep pan. Simmer on a slow fire.
In the meantime fry the pieces of rabbit a few at a time, together with the peeled garlic. The garlic should not be allowed to turn brown, so add it after the rabbit joints.
Fry them for about 10 minutes turning them over once or twice. Put them in the pan containing tomato pur�e and water and simmer while frying the rest of the rabbit.
Correct seasoning, serve hot with plain boiled potatoes or chips.
Back to top
Fenek Bit-Tewm u L-Inbid
Garlic and wine-flavoured Rabbit
Serves 4
- 1 jointed rabbit
- 2 or 3 bay leaves
- 1 bottle of red wine
- A large quantity of garlic - enough to cover the bottom of a frying pan
- Oil for frying
Pour about half the bottle of wine over the rabbit and leave for a few hours or overnight.
Peel the garlic and put it in a large frying pan with about 3 tablespoons oil. Heat gently.
Add as many joints of rabbit as will fit in the pan and fry until brown on both sides.
When all the rabbit is fried return it to the pan and sprinkle it with the wine in which the rabbit was soaked.
Add the bay leaves. Cover and cook gently till the rabbit is tender.
This may be one hour, if the rabbit is young. Up to 2 hours otherwise. Add more wine, if necessary.
Back to top
Tigiega Mimlija
Stuffed Chicken
Serves 4
- 1 boiling fowl
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
For the stuffing:
- 1-2 eggs
- 8-10 tablespoons of fresh breadcrumbs
- Small pinch of salt
- Pepper
- 4 oz (100g) cooked ham (chopped)
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- salt and pepper
Alternative filling for chicken:
- 12 oz (300g) minced pork
- The chicken liver
- 2 oz (50g) chopped bacon or ham
- 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
- 1 teaspoon grated onion
- 1 teaspoon chopped parsley
- 1 hard-boiled egg
- 1 raw egg
- Pepper and salt
Use this stuffing for a boiling or roasting chicken.
When planning to make a stuffed chicken buy a loaf of 'French' bread a couple of days beforehand, as it will be much easier to turn into crumbs when it is dry.
Maltese bread is not suitable for crumbing. Cut the loaf in half horizontally and use a fork to make crumbs. Do not discard the outer shell of crust.
Add the other ingredients, using only a little salt if you think the ham may be salty, and enough egg to bind the mixture.
Rub the bird with a halved lemon both inside and out.
Spoon the stuffing in and sew up the cavity. Boil and fry the chicken.
Tip: This is what you can make with the empty crusts of bread: Fry a sliced onion or two. Add 1 lb. of minced meat. Simmer until meat is done. Fill the bread boxes with the mixture and bake until heated through.
Back to top
Bragioli
Veal Rolls
- Veal sliced not thickly cut
- Red wine
- Aceto Balsamico
For the Stuffing:
- Bread Crumbs
- Grated Cheese (Same quantity as bread crumbs)
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- Pinch of sage
- Plenty of parsley
- Mushrooms finely chopped (can be fresh, canned or already fried)
- One egg
- Ham
Mix all ingredients for the stuffing together.
Put a stuffing of the mixed ingredients on each slice of veal, roll and tie with string or skewers.
Fry in butter and oil until golden. Add a little red wine, simmer for 10 minutes, add six teaspoons aceto balsamico and simmer for 10 minutes. (Add wine if pan dries.)
Served with peas and mashed potatoes.
Back to top
|
