Dolphin Fish Pie (Torta tal-Lampuki)

Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 500g plain flour
- 250g unsalted butter chilled and diced
- 3 -4 tablespoons ice-cold water
- 1 teaspoon salt

For the Filling:
- 500gm dolphin fish
- 4 large tomatoes chopped
- 2 large onions chopped
- 250gm fresh / frozen spinach finely chopped *
- 100gm peas
- 4 black olives deboned and chopped
- 1 clove garlic crushed
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lemon zest
- 1 egg beaten
- sesame seeds
- salt and pepper

Method:
Dough Preparation:
Sift the flour. Add the salt. Rub in unsalted butter until mixture texture is crumbly. Gradually the cold water to the mixture and knead into dough. Roll to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out.

Filling Preparation:
Clean the fish and remove all bones. Cut into small portions. Dip each piece in flour and fry until just cooked through. Set aside. Fry the onion and garlic until done. Add the spinach, olives, peas and tomatoes. Blend in the lemon zest. Cover and cook until vegetables are soft. Add the fish to the vegetables and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the pastry into two parts, 1/3 and 2/3. Roll out both portions to a desired thickness. With the larger portion line the bottom and sides of a baking dish. Fill in with the lampuki mix. Cover all with the smaller pastry portion. Seal the upper and lower pastry portions together along the edges of the baking dish. Cut some slits in the upper pastry layer. Glaze the top with a beaten egg. Sprinkle sesame seeds. Bake in a moderate preheated oven approximately (200ºC fan forced) for approximately 45 minutes till pastry is golden in colour.

Notes:
* Fresh spinach has to be boiled prior to cooking with the onion and tomato mix.

Broad Bean Dip (Bigilla)

Ingredients:
- 500g dried broad beans *
- 1 tablespoon vinegar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon curry powder
- 4 cloves garlic crushed
- some parsley finely chopped
- salt and pepper

Method:
Remove skin from the beans. Soak the beans in salted water for 24 hours. Wash beans and cook them in plenty of salted water till tender. Mash the beans. Add the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, garlic and curry and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Simmer for a few minutes. Serve hot or cold as preferred.

* If fresh broad beans are used there is no need to soak the beans before cooking.

Anchovy and Potato Pizza (Pizza bil-Patata u l-Incova)

Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 300gm flour type 00
- 50gm semolina
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon yeast (approx. 7gm)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 200ml lukewarm water *
For the Topping:
- 1 large potato very thinly sliced
- 2 anchovy fillets cut coarsely
- 100gm tuna chunks crushed
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- fresh / dried rosemary
- salt and pepper

Method:
Dough Preparation:
Sieve the flour. Add the salt and olive oil. Add the yeast. Dissolve the sugar in the water and add very slowly to the flour mixture, while kneading to form sticky dough. Form into a ball and stamp a few timed on the working bench. Place in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rise for an hour **. Roll out the pastry on a board sprinkled with semolina to form the pizza base. Place in a greased pizza pan. Leave to rise in a warm place.

Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil and the tomato paste and brush over the pizza base top. Follow by spreading evenly the tuna and potato slices, onion and anchovy. Sprinkle the rosemary and the remaining olive oil on top. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in a preheated oven (200ºC fan forced) for 20 minutes or until base edge is golden in colour.

Notes:
* If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast.
** The dough should rise to double the size in an hour.

More Pizza Recipes on http://bread-and-pizza.blogspot.com/

Stuffed Calamari (Klamari Mimlija)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
- 2 calamari tubes cleaned
- 2 medium sized tomatoes diced
- 1 medium sized onion diced
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 100ml dry white wine
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley finely chopped
- 1 lemon cut into wedges
For the Stuffing:
- 2 calamari tentacles finely chopped
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 tablespoons bread crumbs
- 100gm tuna chunks
- 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese grated
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 2 tablespoons fresh parsley finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper

Method:
Stuffing Preparation:
Sauté the onion and garlic in butter until the onion is translucent. Add the calamari tentacles and fry lightly. Mix the breadcrumbs, tuna, cheese, onion, garlic, calamari tentacles and half of the parsley. Blend in the egg and mix well to combine. Add salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Fill calamari tubes with the stuffing. Secure close each calamari tube end with a toothpick. Sauté the calamari tubes in the oil in a deep pan for a few minutes till fried lightly on all sides. Remove the calamari from the pan and put aside. Sauté the onion until translucent. Add the tomatoes and sauté until tender. Add the calamari tubes and the wine. Bring to boil and then simmer for some 15 minutes so that flavours combine. Serve with jacket baked potatoes. Garnish with the chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

Sundried Tomatoes and Ricotta Pizza (Pizza bit-Tadam Imqadded u l-Irkotta)

Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 300gm flour type 00
- 50gm semolina
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon yeast (approx. 7gm)
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 200ml lukewarm water *
For the Topping:
- 8 sundried tomatoes coarsely cut
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 200gm ricotta cheese
- 3 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- fresh / dried oregano
- salt and pepper

Method:
Dough Preparation:
Sieve the flour. Add the salt and olive oil. Add the yeast. Dissolve the sugar in the water and add very slowly to the flour mixture, while kneading to form sticky dough. Form into a ball and stamp a few timed on the working bench. Place in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rise for an hour **. Roll out the pastry on a board sprinkled with semolina to form the pizza base. Place in a greased pizza pan. Leave to rise in a warm place.

Combine 1 tablespoon olive oil and the tomato paste and brush over the pizza base top. Follow by spreading evenly the sundried tomato chunks and ricotta cheese. Sprinkle the oregano and the remaining olive oil on top. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bake in a preheated oven (200ºC fan forced) for 20 minutes or until base edge is golden in colour.

Notes:
* If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast.
** The dough should rise to double the size in an hour.

More Pizza Recipes on http://bread-and-pizza.blogspot.com/

Octopus Stew (Stuffat tal-Qarnit)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
- 600g octopus
- 300ml red wine
For the Stew:
- 2 large tomatoes chopped
- 50g tomato purée
- 2 potatoes chopped into quarters
- 6 black olives whole
- 100g peas
- 2 onions chopped
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 300ml red wine
- 300ml water
- 1 lemon zest grated


Method:
Stew Preparation *:
Fry the onions and garlic till golden in colour. Lower the heat and add the tomatoes and tomato purée. Follow with the olives and the lemon zest. Add the wine and water. Bring to the boil. Add the peas and potatoes. Lower the heat once again and continue cooking for approximately 1 hour till everything is just cooked.

Cut the octopus into bite size pieces. Fry lightly. Add the wine. Simmer for approximately 15 minutes till just done. Add the octopus to the stew and simmer for another five minutes.

Notes:
* Start off with the stew preparation. The octopus can then be cooked once the stew is put to simmer.

Dolphin Fish Fillets in Rich Caper Sauce (Lampuki fiz-Zalza tal-Kappar)

Serves 2

Ingredients:
- 500g lampuki fillets
- 5 tablespoons flour
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
For the Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons capers
- 1 large onion diced
- 2 large tomatoes diced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 cloves garlic crushed
- 1 lemon zest grated
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- some fresh mint
- salt and pepper

Method:
Sauce Preparation *:
Fry the onions and garlic until golden. Lower the heat and add the tomatoes, tomato paste and sugar. Follow with the capers, lemon zest and mint. Finally add salt and pepper to taste.

Pass the lampuki fillets through flour and fry on both sides till golden in colour. Once done pour the sauce over the lampuki and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the sauce taste blend with the lampuki. Serve immediately.

Notes:
* Start off with the sauce preparation. The lampuki fillets can then be fried once the sauce is put to simmer.

Baked Macaroni in Short Crust Pastry Case (Timpana)

Ingredients:
- 500gm macaroni
- 1 egg beaten
- sesame seeds
For the Dough:
- 500g plain flour
- 250g unsalted butter chilled and diced
- 3 -4 tablespoons ice-cold water
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Sauce:
- 500gm minced meat *
- 1 large onion diced
- 5 tablespoons tomato purée
- 200ml beef stock
- 5 tablespoons grated cheese **
- 3 eggs beaten
- 1 tablespoon oil
- salt and pepper

Method:Dough Preparation:
Sift the flour. Add the salt. Rub in unsalted butter until mixture texture is crumbly. Gradually the cold water to the mixture and knead into dough ***. Roll to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out.

Sauce Preparation:
Fry the onion until golden. Add the minced meat and fry while mixing continuously until done. Add the tomato purée and the beef stock. Simmer for at least an hour.

Pasta Preparation:
Boil the macaroni in salted water until just done ****. Place under running water to stop the cooking process. Drain from water and put back in pan.

Add the meat and tomato mixture to the macaroni and mix well. Add the grated cheese and the eggs and mix once again. Finally add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide the pastry into two parts, 1/3 and 2/3. Roll out both portions to a desired thickness. With the larger portion line the bottom and sides of a baking dish. Fill in with the macaroni mix. Cover all with the smaller pastry portion. Seal the upper and lower pastry portions together along the edges of the baking dish. Cut some slits in the upper pastry layer. Glaze the top with a beaten egg. Sprinkle sesame seeds. Bake in a moderate preheated oven approximately (200ºC fan forced) for 1 hour.

Notes:
* A mixture of minced beef and pork, corned beef and some diced bacon give a very good taste
** Parmesan cheese would be ideal
*** Adding too much water will give a hard pastry once cooked
**** Do not overcook the macaroni – undercooking the macaroni will in fact help them retain their shape when later baked in the oven.

Short Crust Cheese Pies (Qassatat)

Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 500g plain flour
- 50gm semolina
- 200g unsalted butter chilled and diced
- 3 -4 tablespoons ice-cold water
- 1 teaspoon salt
For the Filling *:
- 500g ricotta / fresh cheeselets
- 2 eggs beaten
- 50gm raisins
- salt and pepper

Method:Dough Preparation:
Sift the flour. Add the salt. Rub in unsalted butter until mixture texture is crumbly. Gradually the cold water to the mixture and knead into dough. Roll to form a ball. Wrap in cling film and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling it out.

Filling Preparation:
Mash the ricotta. Add one of the eggs to the ricotta and mix well. Add the raisins and mix well until well combined. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cut off pieces of the dough the size of a small disc. Flatten each discs gently to the desired pastry thickness. Put a tablespoon of the filling mixture into the centre of each disc. Turn dough edges over the filling and seal to form the qassata. Glaze the pies with the remaining beaten egg. Bake in a preheated oven (220°C fan forced) for approximately 30 minutes till pastry is golden in colour.

Notes:
* Variants of this short crust cheese pie are the:
- pea pie where the filling is replaced with mashed peas with curry seasoning;
- anchovy pie where the filling is replaced with shredded spinach (cooked and well drained), peas, fried diced onion and anchovy;meat pie where the filling is replaced with minced beef, peas, fried diced onion and tomato paste.

Savoury Cheese Cakes (Pastizzi)

Ingredients:
For the Dough:
- 500g flour
- 250g unsalted butter chilled & diced
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ice cold water
For the Filling *:
- 500g ricotta / fresh cheeselets
- 1 egg beaten
- salt and pepper

Method:
Dough Preparation **:
Sieve the flour. Add the salt. Add the lemon juice and mix well. Add water gradually to make elastic dough. Knead until the dough is smooth and does not stick. The resulting dough should be very soft. Roll out the dough, making it twice as long as it is wide. Spread 1/3 of the butter chunks over the dough. Fold the lower third toward the top. Fold the upper third toward the bottom on top of the first fold, to end up with a three-layered rectangle. Now turn the folded dough 900 clockwise so that the left side is at the top. Flatten the pastry and roll out gently as before. Once again place more butter chunks, fold over the edges and flatten the pastry. Leave to set in a cool place 15 minutes ***. Repeat the rolling out, turning over, flattening and chilling of the pastry three more times. The pastry is then ready for use.

Filling Preparation:
Mash the ricotta. Add the egg and mix well. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Cut off pieces of the dough the size of a small disc. Flatten each discs gently to the desired pastry thickness. Put a tablespoon of the filling mixture into the centre of each disc. Turn two edges of each disc to seal giving a boat shape cheesecake. Bake in a preheated oven (220°C fan forced) for approximately 30 minutes till pastry is golden in colour.

Notes:
* A variant of this savoury cheesecake is the pea cake where the ricotta, egg filling is replaced with mashed peas with curry seasoning.
** This is not an easy to make dough but its worth the hassle as, once cooked, it gives light crisp layers that melt in the mouth, this thanks to air trapped between the dough layers.
*** Store the dough covered with a damp cloth in the refrigerator.

Maltese Bread (Hobz tal-Malti)

Ingredients:
- 500g flour
- 10g salt
- 10g sugar
- 10g unsalted butter
- 20g yeast
- 1 tablespoon milk
- 250ml luke warm water *

Method:
Sieve the flour. Add the salt and butter and mix well. Add the yeast and mix again. Blend in the milk and mix once again. Dissolve the sugar in the water and add very slowly to the flour mixture, while kneading to form sticky dough. Place in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth. Leave to rise in a warm place for an hour. Work the dough and then cut into approximately 50gm portions. Place each piece on a slightly greased baking tray. Using a sharp knife, make a small slit on top of each. Let to rest for about 30 minutes. Bake in a preheated oven (220°C fan forced) for approximately 20 minutes until done.

Notes:
* If the water is too hot it will kill the yeast.