Stuffat tal-Fenek - Maltese Style Rabbit Stew

Usually hailed as Malta's national dish, stewed rabbit is popular with most of the Maltese people, whether living on the tiny island or living all around the globe. Rabbits in Malta are famously bred for food and rabbit dishes are a staple in a traditional Maltese family. The most famous rabbit recipes are rabbit stew (Stuffat tal-fenek/fenkata - Stoo-ff-aht tahl- Fehneck/Fehn-kah-tah) and fried rabbit (Fenek moqli - Fehneck mohq-lee). Amanda's mum used to do a wonderful rabbit stew and Amanda used to love eating this so I made sure that during our last trip to the market, to get us a couple of wild rabbits. Around Maltese households, rabbit stew is also traditionally served ladled over some spaghetti. So, in this post I will tell you step by step how to prepare a traditional rabbit stew the Maltese way. It is very easy to prepare and you do not need a huge number of ingredients. For 4 hungry people you will need...

• 1 rabbit, cut up into pieces
• 5 medium potatoes, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 large onions, cut into large pieces
• 500ml (2 cups) tomato passata
• 1 heaped tablespoon tomato paste, dissolved into 250ml (1 cup) hot water
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• Handful frozen peas, defrosted
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• Vegetable oil

For the marinade

• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped or crushed
• 500ml (2 cups) good red wine
• Salt & pepper

To serve

• 400g spaghetti
• Grated Kefalotiri or Grana Padano cheese

How to...

1. Start by marinating the rabbit into the red wine, garlic and salt & pepper. Mix well by hand so as all of the meat is covered in marinade (add more wine if you want to). Put in the fridge to marinate for at least an hour.
2. Remove the rabbit pieces from the marinade and discard the marinade). In a large frying pan heat some vegetable oil and fry the rabbit pieces until slightly brown. 
3. Now transfer the rabbit pieces into a large pot and add the passata, tomato paste, potatoes, onion, sugar, salt & pepper. Give it a good stir and simmer on medium heat for about an hour or so, stirring occasionally.
4. Now add the peas and cook for another 10 minutes. If you are serving it with spaghetti now it is time to cook your spaghetti. Turn off the heat and let it rest for a while until the spaghetti are done. 
5. Plate up the spaghetti and ladle the rabbit stew on top.
6. Serve with grated Kefalotiri or Grana Padano cheese.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Pastizzi

Pastizzi are ever so popular in Malta. There are so good. My dad used to buy loads of these on a Sunday morning. They are made with flaky all butter puff pastry and filled with a variety of two fillings, with peas or with ricotta cheese. Unfortunately pastizzi are not available here in the UK so I decided to make my own on a Sunday morning and surprise my wife which as every Maltese person is a big fan. She was so surprised :) The hardest bit is always the pastry which honestly nobody can perfectly replicate the one one buy from Maltese pastizzerias [Pastizzi shops]. I used ready-made all butter puff pastry which turned out to be a success...luckily...my favourite pastizzi back in Malta where from Roger's Bakery at Zejtun. He used to sell these from his van on  a Sunday morning by the village church, he also sells frozen ones from the shop. So if you are a Maltese immigrant do give these a go...they are really worth all the work :) You will need...

For the Pastizzi tal-Piżelli - Pea ones

• 300 g dried marrowfat peas
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• Oil for frying
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tsp Bicarbonate of soda
• 1 egg beaten, to use as egg wash
• 500 g all butter puff pastry

Method

1. Soak the peas overnight. Wash them in plenty of salted water. Put the peas in a pan and cover generously gently with water, add a teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. Cook the peas until they’re very soft. Drain well and set aside.
2. Preheat the oven at 200°C.
3. In the meantime, fry the onions in oil until soft and transparent. Add the onion to the cooked peas, mix well and season to taste.
4. Roll out the puff pastry thinly and cut out circles about 10cm in diameter. Egg wash the edges. Put about a teaspoon of the mixture onto each of the circles in the middle. Pick up the pastry circle from two edges and seal the edges together. Egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is well golden.
5. Serve hot.

For the Pastizzi ta' l-irkotta - Ricotta ones

• 300 g ricotta
• 2 eggs
• Parsley, finely chopped [optional]
• 1 egg beaten, to be used as egg wash
• 500 g all butter puff pastry
• Salt & Pepper

Method

1. Mix well the ricotta, eggs, parsley and salt & pepper.
2. Roll out the puff pastry thinly and cut out circles about 10cm in diameter. Egg wash the edges. Put about a teaspoon of the mixture onto each of the circles in the middle. Pick up the pastry circle from two edges and seal the edges together. Egg wash and bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the pastry is well golden.
3. Serve hot.

Enjoy!!!

R&A

Tortelloni Cheese & Peas

Tortellini or tortelloni with cream is quite a famous dish in Malta and is a must on numerous restaurant menus around the Maltese islands. We do like the classic ham, mushrooms & cream but this is another version that we love and thought we'd share it with you all. In this dish, we used whole milk instead of cream but you can use cream as well if you wish. The sweetness of the peas contrasts the sharpness of the Gorgonzola cheese whilst the paprika adds extra flavour. For 3-4 people you will need...

• 2x 250g Packets tortelloni
• 100g frozen peas, defrosted
• 75g Gorgonzola Piccante, cut in cubes
• 75g Extra mature cheddar, grated
• Freshly ground pepper
• ½ teaspoon sweet paprika
• 2 teaspoons corn flour dissolved in 1 cup whole milk
• Chopped parsley, to serve

How to...

1. Cook the tortelloni as per packet directions.
2. In the meantime, start preparing the sauce by adding all the ingredients into a small pan and stir frequently and slowly until all the cheese has melted. Keep stirring until the sauce bubbles and starts to thicken. Turn off the heat.
3. Drain the tortelloni cooked al dente and add to the cheesy sauce or viceversa. Stir slowly and serve hot with plenty of chopped parsley sprinkled on top.

Enjoy!!

R&A

Chicken & Mushrooms in a Creamy Sauce

I want to share with you this recipe that reminds me of my brother Stephen, reason being that when he was a little kid he used to lick the plate empty, nearly eating also the bones. He absolutely loves this recipe and is one of our favourites as a family. My mother used to do this a lot, it is one of the brilliant recipes from a 1970's recipe book written by the great Marguerite Patten which was/still is an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of cooks around the world from Mediterranean housewives (my mother) to world renowned chefs like Jamie Oliver. Simple home-made food, that is what Marguerite Patten was all about! The peas and sweetcorn add texture to this creamy chicken dish. My favourite part of this dish (apart from eating it) is getting a chicken and jointing it into pieces but obviously feel free to use thighs, breast or whole legs even to prepare it. Give it a go and you will do it again. You can serve it with crusty bread (that's what we did) or even mashed or roast potatoes. For about 4 people you will need...

• 3 large chicken breast, cut into large chunks
• 4 tablespoons flour
• salt & pepper
• 300g white mushrooms, sliced
• 1 can sweetcorn
• 100g frozen peas, defrosted
• 250ml whole milk
• 250ml water
• 2 tablespoons dry sherry
• Vegetable oil, for frying

How to...

1. Start by tossing the chicken pieces in 2 tablespoons of flour seasoned with salt & pepper. Shake off any excess flour.
2. Heat the oil in a large heavy based frying pan and fry the chicken pieces turning frequently until nearly cooked and brown. This will take about 20 minutes.
3. Take the cooked chicken pieces out and put on a plate with paper towel.
4. Add some more oil and cook the mushrooms, covered for about 2 minutes.
5. Now add the cooked chicken, peas and sweetcorn. Add the sherry and stir well.
6. In a measuring jug, mix the milk with the water and the remaining 2 tablespoons of flour. Mix well to avoid any lumps and this mixture to the mushrooms, chicken and simmer whilst stirring until the mushroom sauce thicken to your desired consistency.
7. Season with salt & pepper. Serve hot with potatoes & salad.

Enjoy!!
R&A

#Ramandalicious

African Beef & Peanut Stew

Hello all...Hope you had a very good and bountiful Christmas. Sorry for not posting anything for a while but we have been very busy for a couple of months (still am). I was asked to share this recipe and I am so glad they did as this is one our favourite stews EVER!! I have inherited this recipe from my mum...she has been doing it since the 70's..oh the taste of peanuts and the hint of spice mmmmm!!!No wonder it has been a favourite in our family for ages. Mum always cooked it traditionally, that is, in a casserole. I always cooked it in a casserole as well until we got our slow cooker...it is very easy to prepare...you need (HAVE) to serve this with mashed potatoes!!! We are quite sure that once you have tasted this stew you will definitely ask for a second helping :) So, give it a go and do not worry if you do not have a slow cooker, we will tell you the cooking times for both. You will need...

• 800g diced stewing beef
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 4 medium carrots, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, finely chopped or crushed
• 25g butter + 1 tbsp olive oil, for frying
• 2 level tablespoons tomato puree 
• 1 large bay leaf
• Pinch ground ginger
• Pinch ground cloves (NOT TOO MUCH as it will ruin the dish)
• 1/8 teaspoon  cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• Salt & pepper
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (any other vinegar will do)
• 400ml beef stock (or 2 cubes in boiling water)
• 2 or 3 tablespoons crunchy peanut butter

Method

1. In a large pot heat the butter and olive oil together until sizzling. Add the beef and vegetables (onions, carrots and garlic) and fry for a few minutes, stirring frequently.
2. Add the tomato puree, ginger, cloves, cayenne pepper, salt & pepper, bay leaf, vinegar and stock and give it a good stir to blend all the ingredients.
3. That's it!! Now transfer to your casserole or slow cooker. So, if you are cooking it in a traditional oven, this has to be preheated to 180°C and then cook the stew for 2 or 2 and a half hours. If using a slow cooker just transfer everything in the slow cooker and cook on high for 5 hours or on low for 8-9 hours.
4. When done, take out of the oven or remove slow cooker lid and stir in the peanut butter, at this point it is up to you how much peanut butter you add...we always add 3 tablespoons as we love it taste and crunchy texture that it gives the stew. Make sure you stir it in well.
5. DONE!! Now serve with mashed potatoes and maybe some peas!!

Enjoy!!

R&A

Guisantes a la Murciana - Peas Murcia Style

This dish comes from the Spanish region of Murcia and it is an absolute delight. It is a simple enough dish to start a great dinner party with. They are very easy to prepare and so so tasty. The chorizo, Serrano ham and pimentón (paprika) makes this dish so...well Spanish! Give them a go and you will definitely try them again!! You will need (for 4 people)...

• 400g fresh or frozen peas
• 75g chorizo, diced
• 75g Serrano ham, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika
• 1 tablespoon flour
• 2 hard boiled eggs
• 250ml vegetable stock
• Olive oil
• Sea salt

Method

1. Start by frying the onion with a pinch of salt in some olive oil. Cook until soft and transparent.
2. In the meantime, cook the peas in plenty boiling water until cooked. Drain and set aside.
3. To the cooked onion, add the chorizo, Serrano ham, paprika and flour. Stir well and cook for a few minutes until the flour is slightly toasted.
4. Now add the peas and stir well into the ham & chorizo mixture. Add the vegetable stock and bring to the boil.
5. Ladle into bowls and chop the hard boiled egg onto each serving.

Enjoy!!

R&A