By Leigh O’Connor.
Blessed with sheltered harbours, bays and creeks, along with thriving local produce, Malta has long been considered an historical haven and crossroads to be conquered for strategic purposes.
Many cultures over centuries have left something behind in the Maltese kitchen, which when combined with local input, has created a unique flavour profile.
Australian-born food and travel writer and photographer, Simon Bajada explores his own family heritage capturing Maltese food for the home cook in his latest book – Malta: Mediterranean Recipes from the Islands.
Now living in Sweden, Simon has written four cookbooks and has worked as a Chef, food stylist, recipe developer and photographer, as well as having a Diploma in International Hotel Management and Le Cordon Bleu cookery.
In ‘Malta’, Simon takes readers to this spectacular archipelago between Italy and the North African coast with more than 65 dishes showcasing the country’s vibrant cuisine.
Blending raw agrarian produce, fruits from the sea and simple techniques, Maltese cuisine features ingredients that are grown and cooked well, coming together to make even the mundane delicious.
Simon encourages readers to relinquish the dogmatic methods used in other Mediterranean cookery and inject a little of their own taste into the dishes using tried and tested recipes.
Start your Maltese feast with klamari mimlija stuffed squid – this recipe is a great way to use up old hobz (bread) and a marriage of typical Maltese produce.
While gently simmering in the tomato sauce, the stuffing absorbs the flavour of the sea, pairing it with other ingredients in the filling, such as Kalamata olives, capers and anchovies. You can alter the filling to your taste if you don’t like anchovies, using the base of bread and eggs to bind it all together.
Next, we have a Maltese main course staple – Bragioli beef olives – which actually doesn’t contain olives.
The word ‘olive’ refers to sliced meat encasing a stuffing and is derived from an old French word ‘alou’, meaning lark. The shape of the meat rolls was thought to resemble these birds without their heads.
This dish uses pork and beef mince and smoked speck along with breadcrumbs, Parmesan and onions to stuff large, thinly cut round beef steaks, which are cooked in a rich tomato and red wine sauce.
For a decadent finish to your meal, try Simon’s Maltese orange tart, capturing the deliciousness of blood oranges in a velvety curd, delivered in a delicate crust.
Featuring breathtaking photography and evocative coastal landscapes, this book is a stunning postcard from the heart of one of Europe’s most captivating hidden gems.
