Spaghetti Sugo Nero

Once in a while I try this special sauce made from cuttlefish ink.  As soon as you throw  the ink, the sauce thickens and becomes velvety black.  Always serve with lemon wedges so that the guest will dig in to cleanse the mouth!  Never freeze or use frozen ink, as you will get a grainy sauce!!

500g Spaghetti
1 onion
2 cloves garlic
2 medium cuttlefish + ink
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chicken stock
Salt & Pepper
parsley and lemon wedges to garnish

Boil pasta till al dente in plenty salted water. Meanwhile, heat a large frying pan, add olive oil, finely chopped onion and garlic till soft. Add chicken stock and when it boils add finely sliced the cuttlefish and ink. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir quickly.  Finally drain pasta and add  to sauce and toss till sauce clings to pasta strings.  If sauce is slightly dry add half a cup of pasta cooking liquid. (Make sure that you turn off heat just after one minute you throw in the cuttlefish)   Serve immediately garnished with parsely and lemon wedges.

Gurbell with Bean and Potato Casserole and Dill Olive oil

Gurbell is a White Firm Flesh fish, sought after in the Mediterranean. When cooked it has large milky flakes, very deliacte in flavour. Similar fish is Bream or Snapper.
I prepared the potato casserole in a heavy cast iron pan, then I transferred it to the oven to continue cooking for further 45 minutes.  Enough time to fillet and cook the fish.

Bean  and Potato Casserole
2 large potatoes cut into small cubes
300g cooked or canned lima beans
250g button mushrooms quartered
300ml tomato puree
300ml chopped tomatoes (polpa)
1 large onion
2 cloves garlic
3 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
salt & fresh black pepper
1 tablespoon capers in vinegar
2 tablespoon black olives
1 tsp honey

1 Gurbell 2kg (to serve 4)
salt & pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Dill Olive Oil Dressing
1/3 cup olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tsp lemon juice

Start by preparing the Bean and Potato Casserole.  In a heavy based pan, heat the olive oil, add potatoes and rosemary then fry gently till just golden. Add onions and garlic and toss quickly.  Add mushrooms, tomato pulp and puree and stir. Finally add beans, honey, paprika, salt & pepper.  Continue the cooking in a 200c heated oven uncovered for 45minutes till sauce bubbles thickens. Remove from oven, sprinkle with capers and olives and serve piping hot.

Clean the fish, descale and fillet.  Cut into portions.  Season skin with salt & pepper drizzle with olive oil and fry for 10 minutes skin side down in a non stick frying pan. Do not turn fish but cover with lid, lower heat and fry for further two minutes or until fish is cooked through.

Prepare the dill dressing by transferring all ingredients in a jug then using a hand blender blend everything till combined.

Plate the dish by spooning the bean and potato casserole in the bottom then  arrange fish fillets on top, then drizzle dill and olive oil dressing over fish and around the plate.

Snickers Cheese cake

I did not use the actual chocolate but my closest imagination to a delicious peanutty topping.  It worked wonders and disappeared in just five minutes!  I used 10inch diameter cake tin and served a generous 12 portions.

Biscuit Base
150g Bourbon Biscuit
150g Roasted Hazel nuts
50g melted butter

Cheese Filling
250g Mascarpone cheese
200g Cream Cheese
3 Tablespoons Icing Sugar
2 tbsp Tia Maria
2 tsp Gelatin
100ml hot water
150ml Fresh Cream

Peanutty Topping
1 cup caster Sugar
1 tbsp water
150ml Cream
300g Blanched Roasted Peanuts
pinch of Sea Salt

In a food processor, crush biscuits and hazelnuts till fine crumbs, add melted butter and pulse till combined.  Press mixture in a spring base cake pan.  Refrigerate for 15minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl beat together cheese, mascarpone cheese and icing sugar till well combined. Dissolve gelatin powder in the hot water and add to cream cheese mixture.  Beat well with a whisk.  Whisk in Tia Maria.  In a different bowl, beat fresh cream till soft peaks form and fold in the cream cheese mixture.  Pour mixture over the biscuit base and refrigerate for another 1 hour.

Pour 1 tbsp water in a shallow pan, add sugar on top and heat till sugar dissolve.  Do not stir but shake the pan. Keep an eye over the mixture as it bubbles and when it turns into golden caramel add fresh cream. Turn off heat, add the lightly crushed peanuts and stir.  Pour the mixture into a jug and allow to cool slightly.  Pour over the cream cheese. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and chill for at least three hours before serving. (Salt lifts up the caramel flavour) Overnight is best. 

Slide a sharp knife around the caramel to release from cake tin and carefully but briskly heat the side with a blow torch. It should come out neatly.

Chicken Mushroom Pots

1 large Chicken Breast cut into small cubes
100g cubed panchetta or bacon
2 medium onions finely chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 carrots cut into small cubes
400g mushrooms chopped
1 celery stick finely sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
2 cups chicken stock
1 small sprig of Thyme
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp flour
100ml fresh cream
1 tsp English Mustard
Salt & Pepper

1 kg Potatoes
100ml fresh cream
2 small eggs
pinch grated nutmeg
1 tsp salt

Peel Potatoes cut into quarters and put in a casserole. Cover with water and add 1 tsp salt.  Bring to boil and then simmer for 20 minutes till cooked.  Drain and mash. Add cream and eggs and beat to have a nice smooth mash.  Grate the nutmeg and add more salt if necessary.  Transfer mixture to piping bag fitted with star nozzle and set aside for later.

Heat oil and butter in a large frying pan.  Add pancetta, garlic, onions, bay leaves and thyme and fry till onions are translucent.  Add flour and stir.  Add chicken pieces and cook briskly.  Add carrots, celery and mushrooms and stir well.  Add chicken stock and stir till a thick sauce forms. Season with salt and pepper and simmer till sauce reduce by half.  Finally add cream and mustard and cook for further 5 minutes. 

Ladle mixture in soup bowls or oven proof individual dishes, pipe potato mash on top and bake in a 200c oven for 25 minutes or until tops are golden.

Mediterranean Squid on Saffron Rice

1 1/2 cups basmati rice
1/2 tsp Saffron

2 medium sized squid cleaned and sliced
400g can Chopped Tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
4 anchovy fillets
1 onion finely chopped
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tbsp olive oil
50g ripe black olives
1/2 cup white wine
1 tbsp chopped fresh marjoram
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp capers in vinegar
2 tsp honey
salt & peppr

Put rice in a casserole, add saffron and 3 cups water. Cover with lid then bring to boil on high heat, reduce heat to very low and cook for 10minutes. Turn off heat, remove lid, cover with clean kitchen cloth and place cover tightly on top. Leave to steam till serving time.

Heat olive oil in a frying pan, add chopped anchovy fillets, onions and garlic and fry gently till golden. Add squid and cook for just 1 minute.  Using a slotted spoon lift the squid and transfer to a bowl. In the same pan add 1/2 cup wine and reduce till it nearly evaporates.  Add chopped tomatoes and tomato paste and cook for 15minutes.  Add honey, olives and fresh herbs and cook for futher 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Finally add back the squid rings and capers stir quickly and turn off heat.  Serve on Saffron Rice and decorate with few basil leaves.

Prawn Curry with Coconut Pancakes

Prawn curry 

1kg king Tiger Prawns shelled

1 celery stick finely sliced

2 cloves garlic crushed

1tbsp grated ginger

1 green chilli finely diced

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 star anise

1 tbsp sultanas

1/2tsp salt

1tbsp ghee

1tsp cumin seeds

1tsp mustard seeds

1/2tsp fennel seeds

1tsp coriander seeds
1tsp turmeric                                                                        For Coconut Pancakes      

1kg tomatoes peeled and chopped                                         165ml coconut milk            

1 large onion finely chopped                                                  165ml Milk              

1 large potato peeled and                                                      1/2tsp salt            

2 carrots diced                                                                     1 tsp honey

                                                                                           3eggs

                                                                                           1 long fresh garlic finely chopped

                                                                                           1tsp ghee or sunflower oil for frying

                                                                                           2cups Garam Flour (chickpea Flour)

Heat a small frying pan add mustard, fennel, coriander and cumin seeds and roast till they pop. Taka away from heat and powder them in a spice grinder or using pestle and mortar.  Heat a large casserole, add ghee then onions, chilli, garlic and ginger and fry till golden.  Add turmeric and ground spices and stir.  Add chopped tomatoes, tomato paste, carrots, potatoes, celery, star anise and 1 cup water. Stir well and simmer gently for 1 hour till curry is well cooked, taking care to keep stirring from time to time.  Add sultanas then peeled prawns, cover and cook for 5 minutes till prawns are just cooked.  Serve with Coconut pancakes.

Coconut Pancakes

Put all ingredients except ghee in a large jug, then using a hand blender mix till a smooth batter forms.  Cover with a kitchen cloth and leave to stand for 30minutes.  Heat a non stick pan add ghee, then add 1 tablespoon of batter per cake, and cook for two minutes on one side, then flip and cook for just 15 seconds on the other side. Mixture makes approx 30 mini pancakes.

Veal with Yoghurt Bean Dip

500g Veal cutlets sliced thinly
2 cloves garlic crushed
2 tbsp capers
1 tsp grated Lemon Rind
4 anchovy fillets
3 tbsp olive oil
Chopped fresh Parsely
Salt & Pepper

3 cups Canellini Beans (canned or freshly made)
2 tbsp Greek Yoghurt
1 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp salt
4 anchovy fillets
4 sun dried tomatoes
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsely
Salt & Pepper
1 tbsp olive oil and smoked paprika to garnish.

Prepare the bean dip by simply adding all ingredients to food processor and  process till paste forms.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan add garlic and finely chopped anchovy fillets.  Add thinly sliced veal, lemon rind and capers and toss very quickly for just one minute.  Do not over cook. Turn heat off sprinkle with parsely and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with bean dip and pita breads.

Spaghetti Rizzi (Sea Urchin)

Perhaps the most requested pasta dish in the Maltese Restaurants! When we were young we used to dive in shallow waters and using just a fork we managed to pull out dozens.  Mum used to open them remove the sandy bits and give us some maltese bread to mop out the delicate sweet and salty roe. AAhh, so heavenly delicious. This is a very simple dish, and I can assure you that there is no need of fancy gadgets or extra special techniques to master, yet each mouthful will give you the taste of our sea!

500g Spaghetti or Linguine (long pasta is a must)

100g Sea Urchin roe or approx 1 heaped tablespoons per portion

2 large tomatoes peeled and chopped

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped

1 clove garlic crushed

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsely

Salt & Pepper

Bring a large pan of salted water to a boil, add pasta and cook for approx 7 minutes till al dente. Meanwile heat olive oil in a large frying pan, add chilli and garlic then chopped tomatoes and stir.  Drain pasta reserving 1 cup of liquid.  Add pasta to tomato sauce, also add the reserved pasta water and toss on high heat. Add sea urchin roe the last minute and toss quickly. Finally sprinkle  chopped parsely  and serve immediately.

Pork Fillet with Pea and Pistaccio Rice

 1 pork Fillet
4 Slices Streaky bacon
1 spring onion finely sliced
1 clove garlic crushed
1/4 cup dry sherry
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper

2 cups Basmati Rice
2 cups Water
3 cups frozen peas
Few sprigs of Mint
1 spring onion
1 clove garlic
3 tbsp roasted pistaccio nuts chopped
100ml Fresh cream
Salt & Pepper

Put the rice in a saucepan, add 2 cups water bring to boil, lower heat and simmer for 10minutes (never stir). Turn off heat, cover saucepan with clean kitchen cloth then press back the lid and leave aside.  

Put peas to another saucepan, cover with water, add 1 tsp salt, chopped garlic and chopped spring onion.  Bring to boil and then simmer for 15 minutes till peas are just cooked. Turn off heat add chopped mint and blend mixture to fine puree.  Add fresh cream and stir till just combined. Season with salt & pepper. 

Cut the fillet into four equal portions, flat out slightly by pressing gently with your hands. Wrap bacon around each fillet and secure with string. Drizzle with olive oil, then season well with salt and pepper.  Heat a large frying pan, fry two minutes on each side then transfer to heated oven at 200c and cook for further 25minutes.  Take off from oven, transfer fillets to a warm plate.  Turn pan and juices to heat, add chopped garlic and finely chopped spring onion and cook. Add sherry and reduce by half to form a joux.

Right before serving, add pea sauce to rice and stir gently with fork.  Spoon mixture to a warm serving plate, and sprinkle with chopped pistaccio nuts.  Arrange pork fillet aside, and spoon 1 tablespoon joux on top.

Steamed Fish Fillets with Tamarind Glaze

4 white fish fillets (Jon Dory,bream,perch,snapper)
Bunch curly kale or spinach
250g Cellophane or rice noodles
1 tsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic crushed
Bunch fresh coriander
Lime cut into wedges

For the Glaze
2 tbsp light Soy Sauce
4 tbsp water
1 tsp Tamarind Paste
2 tbsp corn Syrup
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp cornflour
Few drops sesame oil
1 tsp fish sauce
Few chilli flakes

Layer fish fillets on a flat plate, sprinkle with garlic and ginger and steam for 10 minutes. Blanch the curly kale in boiling salted water for 1 minute then lift and rinse with cold running water. Leave to drain. Boil 1 litre of water, and pour over cellophane noodles. Stand for approx 10 minutes till water is nearly absorbed and noodles are just done. 

Prepare the glaze by dissolving the cornflour in 1 tbsp of water. Add the remaining ingredients in a saucepan, boil on medium heat stirring all the time. Add cornflour mixture to sauce and stir till it thickens. Plate in a deep bowl, starting with a portion of noodles, then blanched kale, then fish fillets then spoon over tamarind glaze. Sprinkle chopped fresh coriander and garnish with lime wedge.

Raspberry Conserve

The difference between Jam and Conserve is that in the latter the texture comes with chunky bits of fruit.  Professional Jam making takes much longer to do as you have to pass mixture slowly through a fine muslin, whereas in a conserve you boil to Jam temperature of 105c, pack in sterilised jars and seal. The taste is simply divine.

800g Fresh Raspberries

550g Sugar

Juice of 1 lemon.

Wash raspberries and drain.  Add to a large stainless steel and heavy bottom pan. Press fruit with a fork to extract some juices and add lemon juice.  Turn heat on and when mixture boils add sugar.  Stir so that sugar dissolve.  Ensure that no sugar crystals stick to side of pan, and if they do simply brush down with a little water. Boil mixture rapidly till it reaches 105c. Remove any scum that surface.  Ladle in hot sterilised jars, seal with cap and turn upside down for 1 minute to sterilise the cap. Jam will keep for over 1 year.  Eat after 15 days.

Calamari Rings with Bean and Broccoli Salad

For the Calamari Rings
3 Large Squid cleaned and skin removed
2 tbsp Olive Oil
1 inch grated ginger
1/2 glass white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp chopped fresh Marjoram
1 tsp dijon Mustard
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 green Chilli finely sliced
Salt & Pepper

For the Bean & Broccoli Salad
1 Medium Broccoli cut into small florets
Two handfuls of cherry tomatoes halved
Two cups Canellini Beans (cooked or canned)
1 tbsp chopped fresh parseley
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tsp dijon mustard
2 tsp honey
1 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp white wine
3 tbsp olive oil
Salt & Pepper

Slice the squid into 5mm rings. Heat olive oil in a large frying pan add crushed ginger and squid rings and fry on high heat for just 1 minute. Turn heat off, and scoop out the calamari rings to a serving plate leaving juices in the pan.  Turn heat on again add garlic, wine and chicken stock and reduce by half. Add chopped chilli, mustard, mustard seeds and chopped marjoram.  Season with salt & pepper and pour over the calamari rings.

Make the Bean and Broccoli salad by blanching the broccoli in boiling salted water for two minutes then drain and rinse under cold running water.  Drain well then transfer to a bowl.  Add cannellini beans, halved cherry tomatoes and parsely. Make the dressing by whisking together, crushed garlic, mustard, honey, wine, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Pour over salad and toss gently.

Pumpkin Gnocchi, with bacon sage and cherry tomatoes

For the gardener, Pumpkin, is the ideal vegetable to grow, as it keeps for months.  It brings me joy and pride to watch my Pumpkin standing on the garden wall waiting patiently to be transformed into something worth eating!  This recipe is to my belief what make my Pumpkins proud!

For the Gnocchi

1 kg Pumpkin

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp sea salt

500g Strong Plain Flour

1/2 tsp salt

grated Nutmeg

1 small egg

For the Sauce

300g cherry tomatoes

150g unsmoked bacon

4 sage leaves

2 cloves garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1tbsp butter
Parmesan cheese for topping

Cut the pumpkin into large chunks sprinkle with 1 tsp sea salt and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil.  Bake in a 180c oven for 45mins - 1 hour till just cooked.  Take out from oven, leave to cool.  Remove any liquids, scoop out the flesh into a large colander over a bowl and leave the juices to drain till pumpkin is completely cold. Process pumpkin in a food processor to obtain a smooth thick paste.  Weigh the pumpkin and you should have about 500g. (add the exact quantity of flour to pumpkin mash). Add egg, flour salt, and grate a little nutmeg.  Mix to form a soft dough. Turn to flour surface and knead. Divide dough in two, then roll out to 1cm thickness and using a pizza cutter cut 1 cm long strips. Dust liberately with flour and cut each strip into pillows.  Using the back of a fork and your thumb press each pillow to obtain the classic indents. Place on a floured sheet and freeze or cook with the following sauce.

Bring a large pan of salted water to boil and add gnocchi.  Cook for 5-7 minutes until they have a small bite. Meanwhile heat a large frying pan add oil and butter, crushed garlic, chopped sage leaves and diced bacon.  Fry gently then turn heat to high add cherry tomatoes. Lift gnocchi with slotted spoon and transfer to pan. Ladle 1 cup of gnocchi cooking water to pan and shake.  Serve with grated parmesan cheese on top.

Chocolate Mousse and Red Berry Tart

1 quantity sweet short crust pastry(see recipe)
1 cup milk
2 tbsp hot water
1 tsp gelatin powder
300g plain chocolate
1 cup fresh cream

150g raspberries (normal punnet size)
100g sugar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Physalis and red currants to decorate

Prepare the pastry shells by butter some flan dishes. Roll out the pastry, line the buttered flans leaving enough pastry to overlap the sides. Do not trim! Line with baking paper and fill with beans. Bake blind in a 180c oven for ten minutes. Lift beans and baking paper and cook for another 10 minutes. Remove from oven and using a serrated knife, trim the edges. Arrange pastry cases on a baking tray and return to oven to cook for another 10 minutes. Cool on wire rack. 

Make the raspberry jam by adding raspberries and lemon juice to a saucepan and press gently with fork to extract some juices out. Heat on medium for few minutes then add sugar and stir. Turn heat to high and boil mixture for about 10 minutes till jam thickens. Remove any scum that come to surface.  Set aside to cool.

Prepare the chocolate mousse by heating the milk in a saucepan till it boils. Turn off heat and whisk in the plain chocolate to obtain a smooth mixture. Dissolve gelatin powder into the two tablespoons hot water and add to the chocolate mixture and stir well. Transfer mixture to a clean bowl and cool down to room temperature. Whisk the fresh cream until soft peaks form, stir two tablespoons cream to the chocolate mixture, then pour the chocolate mixture to cream and fold. 

Assemble tarts by spooning raspberry jam in the bottom then top with chocolate mousse. Tap slightly to level and chill for minimum two hours. Decorate with physalis and red currants.

Mum's Rabbit and Gravy with roasted Rosemary Potatoes

This is another recipe that takes me back to my childhood memories. For many Maltese, Rabbit was the ultimate food and popularly cooked as Sunday Lunch. Mum bred, killed and cooked our rabbit. Sometimes we had it stewed , others baked or with tomatoes sauce on spaghetti, but this recipe is my favorite. She used red vinegar but I find that white wine vinegar and little balsamic taste just a little bit better. Try to cut the rabbit in small portions and when possible from joints. 

1 rabbit 

3 cloves garlic crushed 

1/3 cup white wine vinegar 

1 tsp curry powder 

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar 

2 cups chicken stock 

5 sage leaves 

Sprig of thyme 

2 tsp sugar 

4 bay leaves 

3 tbsp olive oil 

2 tomatoes peeled and chopped 

Salt and freshly ground pepper. 

4 large potatoes 

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary 

2 tbsp olive oil 

2 cloves garlic crushed

 Salt and pepper 

Cut the rabbit in small pieces. Heat a large frying pan add half the oil and fry the rabbit in two batches. Season with salt and pepper. Tuck in sides, the bay leaves thyme and sage. Fry until rabbit is golden and in the last minute of frying add the garlic. Transfer rabbit to a large bowl and fry the second batch. Deglaze the pan by adding the vinegar and reduce by half. Add the stock, curry and chopped tomatoes. Simmer on high heat to reduce slightly. Add sugar and stir. Finally add back the rabbit, stir and cover. Cook on low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. 

Cut the potatoes into fairly small cubes. Place on a baking sheet, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle garlic, rosemary and salt and pepper. Mix well using your hands then bake in a 180c oven for 1 hour until golden, turning once after 3/4 of an hour.