--- Katie's Pudina tal-Hobz (Bread Pudding)
--- Stuffat tal-Fenek (Rabbit Stew)
--- Torta tal-Lampuki (Dorado Pie)
--- Hobz Malti (Maltese Bread)
--- Kannoli tal-Irkotta (Ricotta-filled Cannoli)
--- Qassatat tal-Irkotta (Stuffed-ricotta cakes)
--- Frakassija tal-Haruf (Lamb Fricassee)
--- Qaghaq tal-Ghasel (Treacle Rings)
--- Imbuljuta (Hot Chestnut Soup)
--- Imqaret (Fried Date Slices)
--- Kwarezimal (Lenten Pastry)
--- Figolli (Easter Pastries)
--- Ghadam tal-Mejtin (Dead Man's Bones)
KATIE'S PUDINA TAL-HOBZ
(Bread Pudding)
Ingredients:
-- 2 large Maltese loaves (or equivalent), preferably a day or two old
-- 14 ozs (400 grams) sugar
-- 12 ozs (350 grms) margerine
-- 3 eggs
-- 1 grated rind of one lemon
-- 2 tablespoons chocolate powder
-- 3 ozs (100 grms) currants or sultanas
-- 2 tablespoons jam
-- glaced cherries
-- one packet dates (optional) cut into small pieces
-- some walnuts or almonds (roasted and cut into small pieces)
-- one small glass brandy or rum (optional)
Method:
Soak bread in water for two hours until soft, drain bread properly (use =
hands if necessary). Add margerine and sugar. Mix well. Beat eggs and =
add to the mixture. Add the other ingredients.
Put mixture in a container (well greased) and cook in a moderate oven =
for about an hour (or until mixture has dried well).
Serve cold.
(Recipe by Mrs. Katie Flores of Kalkara)
STUFFAT TAL-FENEK
(Rabbit stew)
1 full sized rabbit
1 Large onion, chopped
1 12 ozs chicken broth (can be home made)
2 cups frozen peas (or dehydrated)
2 chicken bullion cubes (Knoor is best)
1 12 ozs can Italian sauce (or stewed tomatoes)
1 Half cup strong red wine
Cut rabbit into serving portions, and fry in oil for about 15 minutes. Remove rabbit from the pan
and use the same oil to cook the chopped up oinion. In the bottom of a pot (large enough to
contain the rabbit), place the cooked onion, broth, and bullions. Lay the rabbit on top, then add
peas, sauce and wine to the sides of the rabbit. Cover the rabbit with water and bring to a boil.
Turn the heat down and simmer for at least one and a half hours or untill the rabbit is tender
and the water has been reduced. The dish is best served as sauce/compliment to spaghetti. Make
sure the spaghetti is washed after cooking or it will gum up, lay on a platter and top with
rabbit, then cover in the sauce. This is but one variation of rabbit stew.
(Recipe by Raymond Micallef: micallef@sat.net)
TORTA TAL-LAMPUKI
(Dorado Pie)
2 lb dorado fish (lampuki)
1 sliced onion
2 tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 medium-sized cauliflower
1 lb 12 oz spinach
8 olives (optional)
1 lb flour
8 oz shortening
Salt
1/4 pint water
Cut each fish into 4 portions. Dip the portions in flour and fry in
shallow fat until cooked through. Do not overcook. Remove bones. Set
aside while preparing the other ingredients.
Fry the sliced onion in 2 tbsp oil until soft. Add the tomatoes. Add the
spinach and the cauliflower together with 1/2 pint of water. Cover
closely and cook until vegetables are soft. Add olives (optional).
Line a 12" x 8" pie dish with a layer of pastry. Put half of the
vegetable mixture on this. Place the fish portions on top. Cover with the
remaining vegetables and with a pastry lid.
Bake on the middle shelf of a pre-heated oven. Keep the temperature high
for the first 15 to 20 minutes. If preferred, the cauliflower and the
spinach may be boiled separately. If so, they should still be reheated in
the onion and tomato mixture.
(Recipe by Anne & Helen Caruana Galizia)
HOBZ MALTI
(Maltese Bread)
3 lbs flour (all purpose)
1/2 ozs canned yeast ( or 1 ozs fresh yeast)
1 1/2 pints water (English not American ie slightly more)
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
Warm up the water (tepid, or it will kill the yeast) and in a bowl use
it to dissolve the sugar. Sprinkle the powdered yeast (or stir in the
fresh) and leave in a warm place untill its froths. Meanwhile, place HALF
of the flour into a separate large bowl and add to it the risen yeast
once ready, mix well untill it the water is soaked up and produces a
somewhat runny mixture. COver the bowl with a wet towel and set aside in
a warm place for one and a half hours untill it doubles in size. Place
the remaining flour and salt in a separate bowl in the same warm location
so that it too can warm up to the same temperature as the yeast mixture.
Once the yeast bowl has risen, mix the dry flour into it and knead well
by hand. Once the liquid is absorbed, it will be pliable enough to take
out of the bowl and continue to knead it on a marble surface. Should the
dough become sticky you may dust with extra flour, but continue kneading
untill it becomes elastic. Place the dough back into the bowl, cover and
allow to rise for at least another hour. Warm up an oven (gas mark 7) and
lightly grease a baking sheet with butter or margerine. Take the risen
dough from its warm place and cut it into equal partions for baking,
remember that this dough will probably double in size again.
Take the portions and roll into loafs or stretch and braid. Bake for
about 10-15 minutes. Bigger loafs (as in baking tins) may take up to 40
minutes to finish baking. You can tell when the bread is done by testing
it for hollowness of sound when thumped on the bottom side.
(Recipe by Raymond Micallef: micallef@sat.net)
KANNOLI TAL-IRKOTTA
(Ricotta-filled cannoli)
For the Pastry:
8 oz flour
2 tsps sugar
2 tsps drinking chocolate
2 tsps margarine
2 tsps shortening
2 tbsps red wine
1/4 pint cold water
For the Filling:
14 oz ricotta
2 oz plain chocolate
4 oz glace' cherries
2 oz icing sugar
4 oz blanched & roasted almonds
Mash the ricotta, chop up the chocolate, cherries and almonds. Stir these
into the ricotta together with the sugar.
Make the pastry: either place all ingredients in an electric mixer and
blend, using a dough hook, or mix by hand, using the rubbing-in method.
Roll the pastry out thinly. Cut into rounds with a cutter and place each
round over a tube.
Heat some deep fat, and drop in a piece of lemon rind. Fry the cannoli a
few at a time turning them until they are evenly brown. When lemon rind
gets brown replace with a fresh piece. Cool the cannoli on absorbent
paper. they ought to be filled at the last possible moment.
(Recipe by Helen Caruana Galizia)
QASSATAT TAL-IRKOTTA
(Stuffed ricotta cakes)
Dough: Filling:
1 Lb flour (all purpose) 1 Lb rikotta
8 ozs butter or margerine 2 eggs
2 eggs 1 tsp salt
1 tsp salt (cooked frozen peas if desired)
Cream the butter with the eggs and salt. Add the flour and knead well. If necessary add water to
hold dough together. Allow the dough to rest for a good while (about an hour). Meanwhile, combine
the rikotta, eggs and salt in a bowl and mix to a firm texture. If the filling is runny, add more
rikotta.
Roll out the dough (1/8" or more) and using a circular cutter (such as a wide mouthed cup) press
out circles onto which you can drop a heaping tablespoon of filling. Lift the circle of dough at
four points, pinching each point so that the filling is enveloped in a small bag of dough. THis
takes practice to perfect as dough has a tendency to release itself. Do not overfill. Bake on a
lightly greased/floured double cookie sheet, in a 375F oven, just untill the dough firms up and a
light brown crust of filling can be seen at the top of the cakes. You may also use a meat based
filling made of ground beef, italian sauce and peas which have been cooked and drained.
(Recipe by Raymond Micallef: micallef@sat.net)
FRAKASSIJA TAL-HARUF
(Lamb Fricassee)
INGREDIENTS:
baby lamb jointed with serving pieces
2 onions
oil for frying
1 glass white wine
lemon juice
parsley
8 ozs peas
1-2 egg yolks
METHOD:
Fry sliced onions in oil till soft; move to sides of pan and fry
lamb pieces until golden brown. Season and add white wine, reduce for a
few minutes; simmer for 1 to 1/2 hrs till tender. Halfway through cooking,
add peas. Before serving, remove a ladleful of sauce from pan and add to
the beaten egg yolks. Pour yolk and sauce gradually back into pan,
stirring over very low heat. Add chopped parsley and juice of half a lemon.
For a richer sauce, stir in 1 glass of sherry.
Serve with boiled or mashed potatoes.
(Recipe by Lola Sammut)
QAGHAQ TAL-GHASEL
(Treacle Rings)
INGREDIENTS FOR FILLING
2 lb treacle
An equal amount of water
7 oz sugar
Zest of tangerine, orange and lemon
A small amount of candied peel
A pinch of ground cloves
2 tbsp jam
14 oz semolina
FOR THE PASTRY:
1 3/4 lb flour
2 egg yolks
1 tbsp butter
Water to bind
METHOD:
Place the filling ingredients, except the semolina into a saucepan. Bring
to the boil and thicken with semolina, adding only half of this at a time.
Cook for a few minutes.
Make the pastry. Sieve the flour, rub in the butter and bind with egg
yolks and water. The pastry will keep for a few days, wrapped in a plastic
bag in the refrigerator. Divide the pastry into six pieces, and roll out
one piece at a time. Shape into a rectangle and out of this cut individual
rectangles, 4" wide and 7" long.
Take a dessertspoonful of the stuffing and shape it into a sausage form,
as thick as an outsize finger and as long as the pastry rectangle. Use
semolina, sprinkled on the board to help you to shape it. Put the treacle
'sausage' in the centre of one of the rectangles and fold the pastry over
it. There is no need to damp the edges.
Now bring the two ends of pastry together to form a ring. Sprinkle the
baking trays with semolina. Put each ring as it is ready on the baking
tray. Now take a sharp knife and slash the pastry in about six different
places. Lift the pastry with the point of the knife so that the stuffing
shows through.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 20 minutes or until pastry is barely
colored. The almost white pastry makes a striking contrast with the dark
pockets of treacle.
(Source: RECIPES FROM MALTA, by Anne and Helen Caruana Galizia, Progress
Press, Valletta, Malta, 1974)
IMBULJUTA
(Hot Chestnut Soup)
1 lb dried chestnuts
1 heaped tbsp cocoa
6 oz sugar
A piece of tangerine peel finely chopped
Wash the chestnuts thoroughly. Place them in a large bowl and cover them
with water. Leave to soak overnight.
Next day remove any loose pieces of skin. Preserve water for boiling the
chestnuts. A pressure cooker will save much of the cooking time. Follow
instructions given with pressure cooker. in any case allow to boil until
tender.
Add the other ingredients and continue cooking for about half an hour. If
the stew is still watery at this stage reduce it by further cooking.
Finally taste for sweetness and add more cocoa, if necessary. Serve hot.
Serves 4 - 5
(Source: Recipes from Malta by Ann & Helen Caruana Galizia)
IMQARET
(Fried Date Slices)
Ingredients:
For the pastry:
1 tbsp vegetable shortening
1 tbsp unsalted butter or margarine
1 cup flour, sifted
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp anisette liqueur
1 or 2 tsps orange flower water
For the filling:
1 lb dates, pitted & chopped
milk or water for soaking dates
1 tsp cloves
zest of 1 lemon or orange
1 shot glass of anise liqueur
1 tbsp orange flower water
sufficient vegetable oil for deep frying
Method:
For the pastry: Cut in the shortening and butter into the flour with a
pastry blender. Add sugar, anisette, and orange flower water. Form pastry
into a ball. Wrap in tea cloth or plastic wrap and refrigerate for
approximately one hour.
For the filling: Soak the dates in a small amount of milk or water for
approximately 30 minutes. Add cloves, lemon zest, anise liqueur, and
orange flower water. Mix well. Set aside.
On well-floured pastry board or other hard surface, roll out dough into a
long, wide strip. Spread date mixture in the middle of the strip. Fold
pastry over and seal carefully. Cut sealed strip into "diamond" shapes.
Press edges of individual "diamonds" closed. Fry in heated deep oil until
crisp and golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on absorbent paper.
Serve hot.
3 or 4 servings.
(Source: TASTE OF MALTA by Claudia A. Caruana)
KWAREZIMAL
(Traditional sweet for lent)
These are almond cakes which do not contain eggs, butter or milk and so
were considered suitable for lent.
Ingredients:
284g. ground almonds
255g. plain flour
340g. sugar
Grated rind of a lemon
Grated rind of an orange
2 tablespoons cocao
1 teaspoon orange blossom water
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
Honey
Some chopped almonds for topping
Method:
Mix together in a large bowl the ground almonds, flour, sugar, orange
and lemon peel, cocao and cinnamon. Add the orange blossom water and
some more water until the mixture resembles pastry. Leave it to stand
for about 1 hour.
Heat oven to Gas No: 6. Grease a baking tray with margerine. Divide the
mixture in 12 and form each piece in a rectangular shape (size 15 x 5cm,
1cm in hight).
Bake in the hot oven for about 20 minutes after which remove from oven
immediately or else they become really hard. While still warm, cover
each biscuit with honey and top with some chopped almonds.
(Recipe by Connie Bonnici)
FIGOLLI
(Easter Pastries)
Ingredients:
2 lb plain flour
15 oz margarine
Rind of 1 lemon
15 oz sugar
4 egg yolks (reserve the whites)
To make the almond paste:
1 1/2 lb almonds
1 1/2 lb sugar
2-3 egg whites
A small quantity of orange flower water
Glace and royal icing for decoration
Pastry cutters in fancy shape
Method
Rub the margarine into the flour. Add sugar and grated lemon rind. Mix
well. Add egg yolks and sufficient water to form a dough. Roll out and cut
2 of each desired shapes. Put a layer of almond paste (see below) in
between each pair. Wet the edges to seal. Bake in a fairly hot oven until
golden 20-30 minutes. When cool, coat with glace icing and when this is
set decorate with royal icing in a different colour. If pastry cutters are
not available, draw and cut out your original designs out of cardboard.
Men, women, horses and baskets are favorite subjects.
To make the almond paste, blanch the almonds and put them through a food
mill. Add the sugar. Bind with egg whites and flavour with orange flower
water.
(Source: RECIPES FROM MALTA by Anne & Helen Caruana Galizia, Progress
Press, Valletta, Malta, 1974)
GHADAM TAL-MEJTIN
(Dead Man's Bones)
Ingredients:
2 egg whites
Few drops of almond essence
150g caster sugar
150g ground almonds
icing sugar
Whisk egg whites until very stiff; add almond essence, then add sugar and the
ground almonds. Shape the mixture into leg bones(!) and bake in the centre of a
moderate oven for 20 minutes. Sprinkle some icing on top.
(N.B. Say 3 'requiem aeternam' per bite :-)
(Recipe courtesy of Marthese Falzon of Zebbug, Malta)