Maltese food has a Mediterranean flavour. The use of oil, capers, olives, garlic, pulses, dried fruit, herbs and fresh fish give the traditional dishes that distinctive and delicious Mediterranean taste.
Octopus Stew
(Stuffat tal-Qarnit)
Ingredients:
1kg octopus
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 onions chopped
2 tablespoons capers
1 teaspoon chopped fresh mint
1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram
1 teaspoon mixed spice
50g sultanas
2 cups red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon sugar
two cups water
salt and pepper
Method:
Clean the octopus by removing the eyes and beaks, and washing it under running water. Then cut it into small pieces.
Sauté the onion in the heated olive oil over moderate heat until it is soft. Add the octopus pieces and continue frying for about 5 minutes. Add all the other ingredients and bring to the boil. Lower the heat to minimum and simmer for about 90 minutes, adding more water if necessary.
Serve the octopus stew as a sauce over spaghetti or on its own with lots of bread.
Boiled Butter Beans
(Fazola Mghollija)
Ingredients:
100g dried butter beans
1 clove garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
fresh parsley finely chopped
water
salt
Method:
Soak the broad beans in water overnight or for about 8 hours.
Throw away the water and then add fresh water to the beans, add the garlic, the oil and salt to taste, then simmer on low heat until the beans are tender, adding more water as necessary.
Garnish with the freshly chopped parsley and serve with grilled fish.
Pastries with Date Filling
(Mqaret)
Ingredients:
Filling:
250g stoned dates chopped
finely grated peal of an orange and a tangerine
30g sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup anisette
oil for deep fryingPastry:
250g flour
50 g margarine or butter
water
Method:
Filling:
Put the dates in a saucepan with some water and simmer over low heat, stirring continuously until the mixture becomes a thick paste. Add the other ingredients and leave it to cool.
Pastry:
Rub the margarine and the flour together. Bind with water until a firm dough is obtained.
To make the pastries, roll the pastry and cut into long strips of about 12cm wide. Place the filling along the center and fold the pastry over. Make sure to press the edges. Cut the strips into rectangles of about 6cm long.
Deep fry the pastries until golden and drain on kitchen paper. Serve hot.
(c) Connie Bonnici 1998
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