16 DUMPL ING S!
What actually constitutes a dumpling? Served investigates this confounding question Pg. 52
BREAK– FAST WRAPPED UP!
Recipe on page 40
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a l w a y s h u n g r y.
THE SCIENCE BEHIND EATING WITH YOUR HANDS A sensory and psychological exploration of the science behind eating with our hands. Pg. 72
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016. Seasonal Star This issue we explore the wonderful versatility of fennel, featuring some original recipes from our talented chefs and home cooks.
052. Dumplings: What's In a Name?
021. In The Know
Virtually every culture has their own version of some sort of dumpling, but what actually constitutes a dumpling? Served investigates this confounding question.
An overview on what's going on locally in the world of food.
068. Let The Tasting BeGIN
025. Breakfast: Eggs All Round
Cocktail season is here and there has never been a better time to enjoy this collection of stunning gin cocktails.
Breakfast recipes which celebrate the humble egg in all it's shapes and sizes.
036. From Tea Garden to Tea Cup Tea experts at Tettiera set us on a educational journey into to complex and wonderful world of tea, one sip at a time.
045. Debone Like a Pro Tricks and tips on how to debone a chicken legs, useful for the brilliant taco recipe on page 82
047. Saucey Quick Fixes Authentic Italian tomato based recipes the whole family will love.
072. The Science Behind Eating With Your Hands Keith Abela from Natural Preserves takes us on a sensory and psychological exploration of the science behind eating with our hands.
084. Wild Dining, In The Blissful, Swiss Alps Kieran Creevy lures us out into the Alpine countryside with the smells of plums being roasted on the skillet and a light pork stew perfect for this Spring weather.
047. Desserts A selection of desserts guaranteed to have your jaw drop!
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WELCOME TO OUR SIXTEENTH ISSUE 010
T
he Malta I live in is one of time marked by the produce poking through the earth. Piles of muddy Jerusalem artichokes and oranges for winter, stems of punchy fresh garlic, broad beans, and vibrant naspli for spring. Scarlet plums, fuzzy peaches and truckloads of watermelons signal summer and magenta pomegranates, the size of your fist, usher in Autumn. She dictates what I eat and when I eat it. Each new month tells its story bursting with familiar sights and smells that still manage to feel refreshingly new year on year. The evocative smell of wild fennel is one that I hold synonymous with Malta and that conjures up home wherever in the world I am. Although the bulb is available predominantly from October through May, some stage of it is always visible in our countryside. We honour this versatile plant from weirdly wonderful facts to intriguing recipes. In this issue we also explore everything dumpling; looking at dumplings across the globe, from Manti to Siomay, to see if we can discover What’s in a Name? There are also plenty of recipes to satisfy your dumpling cravings!
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Editor
Contibutors
Debbie Schembri
Keith Abela Mina Sudsaard NaKorn Sam Degaetano Sam Pizzuto Sam Rattanopas Yakof Debono Siège Food Photography: Melissa & Marc Tantillo
Creative Director Chris Psaila
Photography Stephen Galea
Coordination + Advertising
Many of the recipes also explore the delight of dishes eaten with our hands (after a good scrubbing!). There are a number of cultures that eat a huge variety of food with their hands including stews and fish. It might not be for everyone, but I believe there is a huge pleasure and unparalleled level of sensory delight that is added when we do so. There is even the scientific research to back this up as Keith Abela discusses in his article Eating with Your Hands. Children play with their food all the time, so why shouldn’t we? We can often take the seasons for granted and the assurance of returning sights can sometimes feel stifling. I encourage you to look closer, in finer detail at the wonders of every day, because it is when we take the time to explore the minutiae that we are surprised, and things feel refreshingly new again. I’m always hungry to learn more, and I know that you, our readers, are too. There is plenty to explore in this issue from learning about dry-ageing our fish to the fascinating links between dinosaurs and birds! So go forth and enjoy nourishing your minds and your stomachs! The Served team.
Sam Psaila – 7788 0300
Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from the publisher is prohibited. All rights reserved. Dates, information and prices are believed to be correct at the time of going to press but are subject to change and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. Neither the editor nor the publisher accept responsibility for any material submitted, whether photographic or otherwise. While we endeavour to ensure that the organisations and firms mentioned are reputable. The editor can give no guarantee that they will fulfill their obligations under all circumstances. © 2021 Published by [ V ] Publications. – Publishers of Vamp Magazine, Served Magazine & The Malta Artpaper.
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#contributors
cooks + chefs Kieth Abela from Natural Preserves Keith has always had interest in science and the natural world. Being a chef, forager, fisher, farmer, lecturer and a food preservationist, his focus lies on understanding the science behind the whole process of food production; from the growing of plants to how the mind perceives foods’ flavour. He now makes naturally preserved foods for Natural Preserves.
Debbie Schembri
Kieran Creevy
Yakof Debono
Sam Pizzuto
Sam Degaetano
After working as a chef on charter yachts, Debbie moved on to stage at Michelin starred restaurants including Noma, Copenhagen. Returning to Malta she spent time giving workshops with the Mediterranean Culinary Academy and currently works as a freelance private chef creating bespoke menus for individual clients. Her food is genuine, made from scratch, with care. Find out more about her work on facebook and Instagram @ barefootandcurious
An expedition, performance and private chef, mountain instructor and adventure travel writer with more than twenty years experience cooking and leading on mountains around the world. He has created 6 course tasting menus with wine pairings from mountain basecamps, cooked pumpkin gnocchi with wild boar ragû for an Alpine bivi dinner and served a birch smoked venison loin with barley, mushroom and goats curd risotto in a Scottish wilderness cabin.
Yakof currently works as a teacher but is a home cook with a huge passion for eating, cooking, and reading about food. He isn’t a trained chef, nor does he pretend to be one, but he knows great flavours. His mission is to re-imagine Maltese cuisine by incorporating familiar ingredients, that are close to home, with contemporary ones, in exuberant dishes that above all taste great!
Sam believes that food deserves the time it needs to be sourced, prepared and consumed with respect for the local farmers and other people who produce it. He runs a small take-away kitchen, focusing on free range chicken dishes and seasonal salads. Give him a follow on Facebook and Instagram for daily stories and updates @ RalphieandJays
A self-taught chef and creative with an incredible passion for the natural world. Sam works as a freelance private chef and releases his creative flair in every dish he puts together. He believes that the best tasting food comes from organic, local produce and the love put into every moment of cooking.
Stephen Galea Photographer With his eye for detail and penchant for perfection, once again Stephen has shot most of the gorgeous images in this issue. Stephen is an award-winning professional photographer based in Malta with an extensive portfolio focusing on commercial, product and lifestyle as well as continuing to make a name for himself as a foodie’s photographer.
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THAI STYLE CONGEE WITH CHICKEN MEATBALLS
FROM TEA GARDEN TO TEACUP
76 CHICKEN CROQUETTES WITH WILD MUSHROOM KETCHUP
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106 FENNEL & CARDAMOM ICECREAM, CRUSHED SHORTBREAD WITH ORANGE CAVIAR
SAUCEY QUICK FIXES BY MUTTI
72 THE SCIENCE BEHIND EATING WITH YOUR HANDS
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PORK DUMPLINGS FOR SOUP
CRISPY LEGS + MASSIVE EGGS
84 TRAVEL: WILD DINING, IN THE BLISSFUL, SWISS ALPS
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79 CRUMPETS WITH CARAMELISED ONION BUTTER, KUHNE CRISPY ONIONS + PICKLED FENNEL FLOWERS
SEAFOOD GYOZA BY KOZA DUMPLINGS
50 MEAGRE FILLET WITH BROAD BEAN SAUCE, WHEY + GRILLED ARTICHOKE
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has spread across much of Europe and in some countries around the world it is considered a weed! It is a perennial tap rooted plant that can reach a height of up to 3 m! The scientific name of the fennel plant is Foeniculum vulgare, and it is from the family Apiaceae, the family of carrots, celery, and parsley. Fennel is highly aromatic and is used for flavouring anything from bread and salamis, cured fish and herbal teas. But it also has curative properties and can even be mixed with clay to make toothpaste…yum!
ove it or hate it there is no escaping the swathe of untamed, feathery fennel that paints our landscape. For many, fennel, in any shape or form, is Home. To others it conjures nightmarish visions of regrettable nights fuelled by Absinthe. The Maltese hand instinctively reaches for the fennel seeds and throws them unapologetically into as many dishes as it can. Others retch if they catch a whiff of it. This is down to the Anethole which gives fennel its aroma. It is similar to anise and star anise, but less pungent.
#FENNEL.
Fennel goes way back in history and is steeped in mythological associations and lore. It all started in Marathon, Greece, where Athens and Persia had a battle. Fennel grew naturally and that’s why Ancient civilizations called it marathon. It became the symbol of the first marathon when someone ran from Athens to Sparta to ask for help. The Ancient Greeks also considered fennel as a godly food, and it was believed that the vegetable distributed godly knowledge through charcoal in the vegetable’s stalks. The prized plant became such a key pillar of the Cyrenean economy that its likeness
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was stamped upon many of the city’s gold and silver coins and even Egyptians used the plant to decorate and embellish during spiritual ceremonies. Prometheus is also believed to have stolen fire from the eternal fire of Olympus to give to humans, being severely punished for doing so.
Wild fennel is a hardy, draught-resistant plant, typical of the Mediterranean and its temperate climate thriving in coastal areas. But because its seeds spread quickly and easily it Generally speaking, there are two types of fennel: cultivated and wild.
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The cultivated variety comes with a much larger and distinct edible part called the heart and is sweet and less pungent compared to wild fennel. Commercially speaking, cultivated fennel can be broken down into 3 varieties: the sativum, cultivated for its seeds is very aromatic and used in condiments or to distil; the dulce, known for its bulbs; and the piperitum, cultivated for its flower clusters used in condiments. Harvesting of wild fennel can take place at various stages of its growing season, from March through to Sep-
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B Y K E I T H A BEL A
BY SAM PIZZUTO
B Y S A M D E G A E TA N O
FE N N E L + A P P L E TART E TAT IN
CHICKEN TA C O WITH FEN N EL
CON FIT FEN N EL ON A BEET +
W I T H B R A I S E D P ORK
S L AW AN D CON FIT G AR LIC MAYO
YOG U RT SALA D
tember. Despite its lack of large bulb most of the plant is still delicious and edible and is more aromatic than the cultivated. The leaves and stalk can be eaten raw or cooked however, the older the plant the tougher the stalks will become. The flowers are a great addition to salads and if you have the patience and the time you can harvest the pollen too. The seeds can be dried once they age but also added to dishes or eaten raw when they are green for a real punch of flavour. You can also dry the leaves and seeds to make herbal
tea. Although we may think we know how to recognise fennel plants, always be sure that you have asked someone knowledge before consuming. Medicinal magic.. Fresh fennel bulb is a great source of vitamin C and along with the seeds also contains Manganese which is important for enzyme activation, metabolism, cellular protection, bone development, blood sugar regulation, and wound healing. It’s a good digestive, diuretic, with detoxifying properties that helps in the haptic functions as well as being an antispasmodic. Essential oil of the plant has been shown to contain more than 87 volatile compounds, including the polyphenol antioxidants rosmarinic acid, chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and apigenin. Anethole, one of the main active compounds in fennel seeds, has been found to exhibit cancer-fighting properties. Fennel also has strong estrogenic properties, meaning that it acts similarly to the hormone estrogen. This may
Did you know?
1 Puritans used to refer to fennel seeds as “meeting seeds” since it was popular to chew them at church services.
2 Fennel’s aromas can play tricks on your tastebuds. In certain wineries they used to offer fennel before wine tastings, or cook old food in it, so people wouldn’t taste how bad the wine was nor the food. In Italian they use the term”infinocchiare” when someone is duping you or is duped.
3 Toasted fennel seeds are consumed with other seeds in India and Pakistan as “mukhwas”, a colorful digestive, it also helps keep the breath fresh.
help relieve menopausal symptoms, but high doses may be unsafe for pregnant women. Some studies suggest that fennel may increase milk secretion and weight gain in breastfeeding infants, yet other studies have shown no benefits. The weird and the wonderful… “Finocchio”, fennel in Italian, is a derogatory term for homosexuals, the association goes back to medieval times. According to legend, when homosexuals were burned at the stake by the Holy Inquisition, fennel was used to hide the smell of burnt flesh. The derogatory associations with fennel don’t stop there as in ancient Italian fennel could be used to describe traitors and infamous individuals or someone of no value. On an apocraphyl attributed to Dante he writes: : “E quei, ch’io non credeva esser finocchi, / ma veri amici, e prossimi, già sono / venuti contra me con lancie, e stocchi” (“Those I thought to be friends were fennels instead, they came at me with spears and swords” . Throughout the ages, fennel has been credited with providing many benefits. It was once said that it will keep ghosts from entering a house if placed in keyholes, and that if you carry it, other people will trust your words and believe in you. A long-lost version of the fennel we know today, known as giant fennels, and also known as laserwort, apparently provided the ancient world a much sought-after freedom: the opportunity to enjoy sex with very little risk of pregnancy! It was considered more than a folk remedy with scholars and doctors of the day advising that women should drink the juice with water once a month as it ‘not only prevents conception but also destroys anything existing.’
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Recipe by Keith Abela of Natural Preserves
Fennel + Apple Tarte Tatin With Braised Pork Cheeks
Serves: 2 to 3 Start to finish: Approx. 4 hrs Ingredients: Pork cheeks, 600g Green apples,2 Fennel hearts, 2 Puff pastry, store-bought, 1 roll Unsalted butter, 50g Red wine, 500ml Sugar, 40g + surplus Salt, as needed Carrots, 2 large Onions, 2 large Garlic, 1 head Bay leaf, 4 leaves Rosemary, 3 sprigs
Seasonal Star of the Issue
Method: Season the pork cheeks with salt on both sides and leave to sit for 5 minutes. Cook the pork cheeks in a dry oven proof pan on a medium to high heat to render some fat and allow the pork to take on a beautiful golden brown colour. When coloured, remove the pork cheeks from the pan and place onto a tray. Deglaze the pan with wine and leave the wine to reduce by half in volume. Peel and chop the carrots, onions, garlic and any off cuts from the fennel and place them into the wine. To the wine also add the seared pork cheeks, rosemary sprigs, bay leaves and sugar ensur-
ing the pork cheeks are fully submerged by the wine. Cover the pan with a baking sheet and a layer of foil and cook in the oven at 140 C for 3 hours or until tender. Next peel and cut the apples into eighths lengthwise and place aside. Remove the outer layers of the fennel bulb and give it a good rinse. Cut the fennel bulb into sizes roughly the size of the apples and set aside. Place the apple and fennel wedges into a mixing bowl, add enough sugar to create a fine layer as well as a good pinch of salt and give them a good mix. Leave to sit for around 5 minutes. Line a small tart pan with butter and al-
ternate the fennel and apple segments, overlapping them. Place the puff pastry on top. Cut a small hole in the centre of the pastry to let any trapped air escape. Press the pastry tightly onto the ingredients. Bake in a preheated oven set to 180 C for 30 minutes or until the pastry has been fully cooked and golden. Once cooked leave the tart tatin to rest for 5 minutes and then flip it over to have the apples and fennel facing up. Remove the aromatics from the pork cheeks, reduce the wine sauce and serve half of the tart per person with the braised cheeks, sauce and a little mustard. 019
'in the know'
'Your guide, keeping you up to date with trends worth following.'
Kombucha Crazy
What is Seacuterie?
Full of fermented goodness, this non-alcoholic alternative to soft drinks is seeing a resurgence. This beverage has been around for centuries, being made from Scobies handed out amongst friends and family. With a slightly funky taste that needs some getting used to this is a fun little home brewing project that will make your gut happy. Alternatively, you can purchase it from health shops across Malta.
We’ve all heard of Charcuterie but Seacuterie? This year has seen a big interest in finding new ways with processing fish. One notable chef championing this idea is Josh Niland’s whose fin- to- tail ethos is brilliantly detailed in The Whole Fish Cookbook. Just like you would with meat, fish is being dry aged and cured to intensify flavour. From tuna nduja to cold smoked grouper roe the possibilities are exciting and endless. Might we see them on Maltese menus in the coming months?
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BREAKFAST
IN THIS ISSUE WE PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THE HUMBLE EGG, SERVING UP BREAKFAST RECIPES WHICH WILL LEAVE YOU FEELING COMFORTED AND SATISFIED; FROM DUCK EGGS AND CRISPY LEGS, DELICIOUS QUAIL EGG DANISHES WITH COFFEE BUTTER, OR A LAVISH THAI STYLE CONGEE. WE'VE GOT COVERED!
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What Came First The Duck Or The Egg? Serves: 2
Method:
Start to finish: 6 hours
Preheat the oven to 150 C. Season the duck legs with salt and place in an oven proof that will fit them snuggly, skin side down. Pour duck fat or sunflower oil over the legs until it covers them three quarters of the way up. Add in the aromatic spices and cover with foil and pop in the oven. After 3 hours, rotate so that they are skin side up and cover again and cook for another 2 hours. After this time the leg meat should be super tender, about to fall off the bone. Allow to cool and then store in the fridge in the fat until you want to use. They can keep this way, in a sealed container, submerged under the fat for a few months, but I doubt you will wait that long!
Ingredients: Duck legs,2 Duck fat or sunflower oil, as needed Star anise, 2 pieces Allspice, 3 pieces Cloves, 2 Black pepper, 6 Duck eggs, 2 Potatoes, 3 medium sized Butter, 2 tbsp. Garlic, 1 head Fresh nutmeg Spring onions, 1 stalk, finely sliced Salt, as needed
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Wrap the whole head of garlic in foil and cook in the oven for the last hour of the duck cooking time. Allow to cool and squeeze out the soft flesh from the cloves into a small container. For the potato cake boil them in salted water until very tender and the skin is splitting. Remove from the water, allow to cool until you can handle them and remove the skins. Melt the butter and combine with half of the garlic, grated 1/4th of fresh nutmeg and a good pinch of salt. Crush the potatoes so you have a mix of chunkier and
fine bits and stir the garlic butter mixture, tasting for seasoning. Form the potato mix into patties roughly the same size of a fried egg and 3 cm in thickness and refrigerate. When you are ready to eat, heat a non-stick pan with a tablespoon of the duck fat and fry the potato cakes on a medium heat until a deep golden brown on each side to achieve a crispy exterior. Remove from the pan and transfer to a baking sheet and keep warm in an oven. Remove the duck legs from the fat and cook on medium heat, skin down for 8 minutes until the skin becomes deliciously crispy, flip over and cook on the flesh side for another 5 minutes. Transfer to the baking tray with the potatoes to keep warm. Finally fry the duck eggs to your liking seasoning with salt. Place the potato on plates, top with the egg and then the duck leg and finally garnish with fresh spring onions. Enjoy this truly decadent breakfast!
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Recipe by Debbie Schembri
Plate 0 2 8supplied by The Catering Centre
Quail egg and guanciale danishes with coffee butter (Right) Ingredients: For the danish pastry dough: Plain flour, 400g Dry active yeast, 2 tsp Fine salt, good pinch Milk, as needed Unsalted butter 200g, cold For the coffee butter: Unsalted butter, 50 g, room temp Dark brown sugar, 1 tbsp Salt, pinch Instant coffee, 1 tsp To assemble: Quail eggs, 6 Guanciale, 6 slices Salt, as needed
fridge and roll into a rectangle. Flatten the cold butter into a rectangle the same width of your dough and one third of its length. Place it in the middle third of your dough and fold the top of the dough over and then the bottom so that you are encasing it in the middle. Rotate your dough 45 degrees and gently roll it out again into a rectangle avoiding piercing any holes in the dough. Your aim is to create layers of butter in the dough. Fold the top third into the middle followed by the bottom. Wrap in clingfilm and rest in the fridge for half an hour. Remove from the fridge and repeat the rolling and folding process twice more. Wrap again, rest for another half another and repeat 2 more folds. Repeat once again after another half an hour. Leave to develop and rise slowly overnight in the fridge, wrapped tightly in clingfilm.
For the coffee butter add a couple of drops of warm water to the instant coffee. Stir to dissolve and add in the sugar and salt, stirring to incorporate. Combine this paste with the butter. Cover with clingfilm until needed. In the morning preheat your oven to 200 C. Line a baking tray with baking paper and remove your dough from the fridge. On a very lightly floured surface roll it out to a 2 cm thick rectangle and use a knife to cut it into squares with 10cm sides. Transfer them to the baking tray. On each one score a border of 1 cm so that you create a ‘frame’. Use a teaspoon to cover the border in the coffee butter. Place one piece of guanciale in the middle of each square. Use your thumb to create an indent in the centre to nestle the quail egg. Crack one quail egg into each crevice and season with salt. Bake in the oven until the pastry is puffed and golden and the eggs have set.
Serves: 6 Start to finish: 24 hours Method: Begin by making your dough. In a mixing bowl combine the yeast, salt and flour. Slowly add in milk and mix with your hands until a slightly tacky dough forms. All flour is different and will absorb different amounts of liquid so work on feel. Stop adding milk when it starts to come together, scrunch and knead with your hands for a minute and reassess if it needs more milk. You want it to form a ball yet be a little sticky. Once it has reached this consistency knead for 10 minutes, transfer to a clean bowl, and cover with clingfilm. Allow to rest and rise for 2 hours by which time it should have bulked up. At this stage knock it down by punching out the air with your fist, wrap the dough ball in clingfilm and transfer to the fridge for a couple of hours. Remove from the 029
Know Your Dish:
Thai Breakfast Bowl...
M
any NaKorn guests ask us about Thai breakfast or brunch. Growing up in Thailand, our breakfast most-often looked like lunches, dinners or afternoon snacks. In other words, there are very few specific breakfast dishes in Thailand, and we usually eat the same meals at any time of day. That said, there are few dishes in Thailand that are considered specifically ‘breakfast.’ Our Mother’s Day Brunch dishes are Thai breakfast that you can easily find on Thai streets.
Recipe and story by - NaKorn: Evanston, IL Owners: Sam Rattanopas and Mina Sudsaard nakornkitchen.com Styling and Photography by Siège Food Photography, Melissa and Marc Tantillo siegefoodphoto.com Plates by Factured Goods: https://www.facturegoods.com/ Oil jug by Depy Zepo: https://www.depyzepo.life/
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One of Sam’s favorite breakfasts. Jok is a rice porridge that’s like the oatmeal of Asia. Unlike oatmeal, Jok is a savory breakfast dish. It is often served with a raw or poached egg added, topped with thinly julienne
ginger. You can easily find it in the morning on the streets of Thailand or late at night at many night markets. It may be eaten alone or with a variety of added ingredients. The most common one is with pork meatballs. >>
Recipe on next page
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Thai Style Congee with Chicken Meatballs for another 30 minutes. Then add the remaining of hot water and continue simmering another 20 – 30 minutes. The consistency of congee can vary depending on the amount of added stock or water. We like a medium thick to medium thin porridge. Some like a thin watery porridge. **Note there is a quicker option to make this at the bottom** 2. Adjust the heat under the congee so it bubbles gently. Remove the chicken mixture from the refrigerator, pinch off pieces of the chicken mixture to make a bite-size meatball, dropping them one at a time into the soup. The chicken meatballs will firm up. 3. Continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes after adding the last meatballs in to the congee. To serve: Ingredients for the Congee:
Method for the chicken mixture:
1. Scoop ladlefuls of congee into the bowls.
1 cup Thai jasmine rice or long-grain rice 6 cups chicken stock (low sodium) 3-4 cups hot water
1. While the rice is cooking, pound or grind the garlic, cilantro root (or stems) and white pepper
2. Poach or fry eggs
For the meatballs: 1 large clove garlic, (peeled & finely chopped) 2 tablespoons cilantro
together into a coarse paste.
(roots or stems, finely chopped)
½ teaspoon white peppercorns 1 pound ground chicken 1 ½ tablespoon Thin soy sauce (not Japanese soy sauce for sushi)
2. In a medium bowl, add the chicken, Thin soy sauce, oyster sauce, and the garlic-cilantro-white pepper paste. Mix well, cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
1 teaspoon oyster sauce
For the the congee:
For the garnish: 6 eggs 1, 2-inch piece fresh young ginger,
1. In a large heavy pot, add rice and chicken stock and bring to a gentry boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes, Stir occasionally and
(peeled and julienned)
2 stems scallions, (thinly sliced cross section) ¼ cup loosely pack fresh cilantro leaves Optional thinly sliced radish Optional sliced red chili 034
scrape up any starch from the bottom to prevent scorching. Add 2 cups of hot water and simmer
3. Gently scoop out each egg and place in a congee bowl. 4. Garnish with above suggestions 5. Serve immediately **NOTE**Because it takes about 60 – 90 minutes to cook the rice into a porridge consistency. You can used 2 cups of cooked jasmine rice (can be leftover rice) to make congee for this recipe and only add 4 cups of chicken stock. Bring to gently boil and simmer uncover for 30 minutes.
H
ow many times a day do you meander into the kitchen for a mug of tea? As you sip on your warm beverage, do you ever wonder what actually goes into your brew, the quality of the tea leaves or the journey they made to land in your cuppa? The world of tea is as complex and nuanced as that of coffee, wine, or olive oil but we’re not talking about it. Tettiera are on a mission to get this discussion
going, ready to passionately pass on as much information as they can one sip at a time. In this issue we start at the very beginning: the plant. The word tea is derived from ‘Thea’, the latinised version of the Greek for goddess. Often nicknamed ‘the divine herb’, tea has long been regarded as a way to solve our problems. The tea plant is an evergreen shrub coming from the Camelia sinensis that is in turn divided into two main sub species: Camellia sinensis sinensis and Camellia sinensis assamica. The former denotes
that it was originally found in China and the latter is native to India’s north-eastern province of Assam as well as parts of the Himalayan foothills including south-western China and Vietnam. The assamica variety tends to grow more like a tree but both produce delicate little flowers with five to seven creamywhite petals and bright, sunshine-yellow stamens. The plant’s sharply serrated leaves are thick and shiny, and the bitter fruit is the size of seeds.
From Tea Garden to Teacup
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The process of producing a superior cup of tea starts from the shrub. Just as a viticulturist would propagate vines that have produced superior grapes, so too would a tea cultivator produce new stock from successful mother plants. The geographical location of tea plants effects their productivity. In areas such as Kenya, where weather conditions remain constant throughout the year, the plant goes on growing without rest while in regions where seasons change, such as north-eastern India and China, there is a dormant period during which the bush-
es do not grow. Tea leaves are picked at specific times when the bushes ‘flush’. This means that they are pushing out new leaf shoots. In some seasonal areas such as Darjeeling, the first flush is believed to create the best, most fragrant teas. In the case of Assam, it’s the second flush. As with wine too, the end product is a direct result of every process along the way and a single tweak can alter the final taste. Each decision is crucial. The terroir, growing conditions and harvest-
ing techniques will shape the character and flavour of the finished tea leaf. Tea is harvested and processed in 6 key steps: Tea Leaf Plucking: Traditional harvesting is done by hand. Each individual leaf is plucked in a way that does not damage either the shrub or leaf. The leaf must be preserved to maintain the highest level of aromas and flavours. However, mass producers use machines that damage both shrub and leaf, cutting them in a way that triggers a premature start to the oxidisation process. >>
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Withering: Tea leaves are naturally thick and waxy. In order to make them pliable for crafting they are softened, known as withering. They are usually laid out on bamboo mats or long wooden tables and left to wilt. Regulating and monitoring humidity and temperature are vital at this delicate stage. Bruising: One of the key stages in really crafting a tea. The purpose of this step is to break down cell walls in the leaf and facilitate the next step of oxidisation. Different teas undergo different processes of bruising. Some are rolled, twisted or crushed to extract the right flavour at the right time from the leaf. All the leaves must be thoroughly bruised at the same rhythm to achieve the same quality in each batch which is a laborious process monitored by the tea masters. Black, oolong and pu erh tea require more intricate bruising processes than others.
Drying: All tea must be dried to remove any residual moisture and create a shelf-stable leaf. The method of heating can dramatically change the flavour of the tea. Charcoal roasting imparts a distinctly rich quality to the flavour of the final tea. Conversely, in order to avoid flavour changes, such as in white tea, the drying process can be done very gently and slowly, replicating natural sun-baking. A brief guide to the teas out there and where they originate:
– Darjeeling Leaf produced in Darjeeling India
– Yunnan Leaf produced in China – Lapsang Souchong which is a smoked tea produced in China Green & White Teas: So many unique and interesting teas exist in this category that can be found in China, Taiwan, Japan and Africa. They include:
– Oolong tea is partially oxidised.
There are six main groups of teas:
– Black tea is fully oxidised.
– Black tea
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Black teas:
– Keemun Leaf produced in China
– Yellow tea is not oxidised but is lightly fermented instead.
Heating: The application of heat denatures the enzymes responsible for oxidisation and stops the leaf from continuing to turn brown, thereby halting the process.
These main categories can then be broken down into different leaves and varieties and are produced in specific areas of the globe:
– Kenyan Leaf produced in Kenya Africa
Let’s start with a clarification. Although certain products are commonly referred to as herbal teas, they are in fact herbal infusions and not teas. These can include tisanes made from herbs, spices, roots or botanicals.
Dark tea such as pu erh goes through a process of post manufacture oxidisation as well as microbial fermentation.
– Pu-erh
– Ceylon Leaf produced in Sri Lanka
Oxidisation levels for tea groups:
– Green tea is not oxidised.
– Green tea
– Assam Leaf produced in Assam India
Oxidisation: Now that the cell walls have been broken, an enzymatic reaction will begin to turn the leaves brown. The humidity and temperature at this stage are monitored religiously. The leaves for black and dark oolongs are left to turn brown but in order to produce green tea the oxidisation process is completely skipped, leaving them green and with a much higher level of antioxidants.
– White tea undergoes an extremely light, slow, spontaneous oxidisation.
– Oolong tea
– White tea Yellow tea: a very small category that are similar to white tea but made with rare tea leaves.
• Sencha, • Gunpowder, • Longjing, • • Dragon pearls, • Matcha, • Pekoe, • • Chun Hao, • Silver Needle, • Gyokuru and Peony Oolong: The best oolongs come from Taiwan and include: Ali Shan, Milky oolong, Pouchong, Formosa Bai Hao Tettiera prides itself on sourcing the best whole leaf teas from renowned tea estates across the globe that follow traditional and natural methods to maintain the finest quality. These estates have skilled tea masters who hold valuable knowledge passed down from generations before them.
We have personally selected and thoroughly researched the tea gardens and plantations that we source from. For example, our Darjeeling comes from a small tea garden called Maharani Hills in Darjeeling, India. Our Assam is plucked from a small tea garden called Bukhail as well as from Dikom Estate in India. The Ceylon originates from the renowned Kenilworth Estate in Sri Lanka and is predominantly used to create different infusions such as our Tghanniqa blend, the Earl Grey Radiance and our Chai. The Oolong comes from a small, high-altitude tea garden on the Ali Shan mountain in Taiwan and our Matcha is sourced from the Kagoshima Prefecture, Japan.
In addition to the tea leaves we also enhance some of our infusions with herbs, spices and botanicals. These are sourced from different regions based on the quality of the harvest and certifictions. Some of our blends are blended by us in Malta and others by our blenders abroad. We strive to source locally and to use Maltese produce. We use ingredients like carob, lemongrass, borage and stinging nettle from Vincent’s Eco Estate in Malta.
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BREAK– FAST WRAPPED UP! Pancake quick fix brimming with goodness and Benna cheese
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Method: In a large mixing bowl combine the yeast with a good pinch of salt, the sour cream, and the egg. Mix well and add the flour. It will be difficult to combine at this point and look like a dry, thick, paste. Slowly add in milk and continue to mix until you end up with a smooth mixture the consistency of PVA glue. Cover with clingfilm and allow to ferment in for 1.5 hours, by which point it should have gained a little volume and small bubbles started to form. Remove the clingfilm and add in the spring garlic and onion and Benna gbejna cheese, combine. Add a few tablespoons of milk back in to get back to the original consistency. You want it to be able to move freely across your pan. In a wide non stick frying pan heat up a drizzle of oil. Pour in enough mixture so that when you swivel the pan around it coats the base in a thin layer similar to a crepe. Wait until the sides curl up and gently slide a spatula under and flip over, cooking on the other side for another minute. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining batch.
For the Spring garlic and onion pancakes:
For the filling:
Spring garlic, 2 stalks, finely chopped
Broad beans, 1 kg with pods, shucked and blanched
Spring onion, 2 stalks, finely chopped Plain flour, 350g Dry active yeast, 2 tsp Eggs, 1 Sour cream, 3 tbsp Benna plain gbejna, 2 grated Salt, pinch Milk, as needed Sunflower oil, as needed
Asparagus, approx. 12, chopped into 2 cm pieces, blanched Artichokes, 4, outer leaves removed and trimmed down to the heart Mint leaves, handful Dill leaves, handful, chopped Tarragon, 1 tbsp chopped Benna plain ġbejna, 3, chopped Lemon, zest and juice of 1 Sour cream, 8 tbsps. Olive oil, as needed Salt, as needed
For the filling: slice the artichoke hearts and pan fry in olive oil on medium heat until a fork can be inserted easily. Remove from the heat and transfer to a bowl. Add in the asparagus, broad beans and gbejna. Season with the lemon zest, juice and a good drizzle of olive oil. Fold in the herbs and season with salt. Lay out pancakes and spread one fourth with a generous amount of sour cream. Divide the filling mixture equally and fold each one up so that you have an easy to eat pocket packed full of spring flavours. 041
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Perfecting Chicken Legs
De-bone Like a Pro THESE ARE TWO TECHNICAL SKILLS THAT WE THINK WILL REALLY PUSH YOUR COOKING SKILLS TO THE NEXT LEVEL, HELPING YOU TO FEEL MORE CONFIDENT AND ALLOWING YOU TO MAKE THE MOST OUT OF YOUR PRODUCE. WE DEMYSTIFY HOW TO DEBONE A CHICKEN LEG (USEFUL FOR THE BRICK CHICKEN TACO) ON PAGE 80.
1 Lay the chicken on chopping board skin side down. Whether you’re a butcher, a chef or just love experimenting in your kitchen, Victorinox knives deliver the precision and efficiency of the restaurant kitchen to your home. Combining a sharp, narrow, and curved blade with a superior non-slip handle, this Boning Knife has been ergonomically designed to make cutting precisely and without resistance a simple and swift task.
4 Continue to make a series of cuts along the length of the bones being careful not to puncture the skin on the other side.
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Identify where the two bones Make an incision along where in the leg are. you have identified the bone to be.
5 Once most of the flesh has been released from the bone, start to work on the knee joint.
6 Make small cuts around the joint, severing the tendons which will make it easier to scrape the meat away from the bone.
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'SAUCEY' QUICK FIXES Tagliatelle With Aubergines, Swordfish + Datterini Sauce
Tagliatelle Con Melanzane, Pesce Spada E Salsa Datterini
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Vegetable Caponata (Caponata Di Verdure) Serves 4 250g celeriac (or celery) 200g zucchini 1 yellow pepper 1 fennel 250g Mutti Tomato Polpa 4 shallots 150ml vegetable broth 1 sprig mint & parsley 1 spring onion Monini extra virgin olive oil Salt Wash the vegetables and cut the celeriac and courgettes into sticks, the fennel into thick slices and the pepper into diamonds shapes, peel and add the shallots cut into chunks. Put all the vegetables in a large shallow pan, spreading them out on the bottom, with about 40 ml of the olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Heat the pan, when it starts to sizzle pour in the broth and cook covered for 10 minutes. Add the Mutti tomato polpa, the chopped herbs and continue cooking for a further 10 minutes.
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Spaghettoni with Tomato Sauce, Olives, Capers and Ricotta Salata (Spaghettoni al Pomodoro, Capperi e Ricotta Salata) Serves 4 320g spaghetti (spaghettoni or spaghetti) 400ml Passata Mutti 120g Nocellara del Belice Dop black olives 60g Ricotta Salata 1 tbs capers (Pantelleria Igp) 2 cloves garlic Parsley to taste Basil to taste Monini extra virgin olive oil Desalt the capers and pit the olives. In a pan, heat a few spoons of Monini olive oil with the crushed cloves of garlic, add the capers, olives and the Mutti Passata. Cook for 10 mins Cook the pasta in salted water, drain and pour it into the sauce. Add the chopped herbs and serve the spaghetti with the grated ricotta salata on top.
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SEASONAL STAR
Meagre Fillet With Broad Bean Sauce, Whey + Grilled Artichoke Recipe by Debbie Schembri
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Serves: 4
Method:
Start to finish: 1.5 hours
Set the oven to 190 C. Find a small oven proof dish that fits the artichokes snuggly and add all the artichoke ingredients to it. Cover in foil and bake for 40 minutes rotating halfway. When the time has elapsed, remove from the liquid, cool, and split lengthways into quarters using a paring knife or teaspoon to remove the choke. Heat a grill pan with a little olive oil and fry on each side until you can see the marks. Season with salt and set aside.
Ingredients: Meagre fillets, 4, approx. 200g each For the broad bean sauce: Broad beans, 1kg weight with pod, shucked and blanched Spring garlic, 1 stalk Mint, handful Tarragon, 1 tbsp Parsley, handful Lemon, juice of one Good quality olive oil, 100ml Salt to season For the whey sauce: Whey strained from 500g Greek yoghurt that has been hanging for 2 days. Approx. 200ml Milk, 200ml Garlic cloves, 2 1 baby potato, peeled and chopped Salt to taste Artichokes: 2 artichokes, trimmed and cleaned down to heart and inner leaves Lemon, sliced Parsley, bunch Olive oil, 4 tbsp. Water, 200ml Salt to taste To garnish: Fennel, 1 bulb, very finely sliced Lemon, juice of one
For the whey sauce place all the ingredients in a pot on medium heat and reduce by half. Season with salt and blend to a smooth sauce. Allow to cool to room temperature. For the broad bean sauce blitz all the ingredients to a rough sauce and adjust seasoning with salt and more lemon juice if necessary. Season both sides of the fish with salt and place, skin side down, in a cold non stick frying pan. Place on a medium heat and cook for 8 minutes or until almost half of it turns opaque. Flip over and cook for another 2 minutes and turn off the heat. Allow to cool to room temperature. Combine the fennel with olive oil, lemon juice, and salt to taste. Leave for 10 minutes. To plate spoon 2 tablespoons of the broad bean sauce on the base of the plate. Split with 2 tablespoons of the whey sauce and a drizzle of finishing olive oil. Squeeze the excess liquid from the fennel and position in the centre. Rest the fish fillet on top and rest 2 quarters of the grilled artichoke on each. Garnish with fresh herbs or saline sea herbs.
Good quality olive oil, 2 tbsp. + extra Salt, to taste Fresh herbs or sea herbs if you can get your hands on them (talk to Natural Preserves) 051
DU MPL ING S!
Virtually every culture has their own version of some sort of dumpling, but what actually constitutes a dumpling? Served investigates this confounding question.
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What’s in a name W
hen I say dumpling, what immediately springs to mind? Perhaps it’s dim sum or perhaps it’s a cute chubby child. A broad classification to say the least. For today we’ll stick to the edible kind but that in itself is confounding enough. You would be hard pressed to find a culture that does not have some sort of dumpling. But what actually constitutes a dumpling? They may be sweet or savoury. They may be boiled, fried, steamed or baked and they may be filled or not filled. Vague right? Some simply dismiss the unfilled variety, like matzo balls and gnocchi, and characterise dumplings as a starch covering of any sorts that houses a filling. >> 053
This open-ended definition allows for all manner of foods, that have never been referred to as dumplings like coxinha, a Brazilian fried snack made from a potato-based dough that is formed around a chicken filling, to empanadas and perhaps even Malta’s own pastizzi or qassatat to be looped in.
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The problem is not only with the definition of a dumpling, but the word itself. Trying to find one word that encapsulates it all makes it very confusing. In their essence dumplings are simple yet complex bites, born out of thrift and ingenuity. Rather than focusing on the mechanics of a dumpling, Max Falkowitz, co-author of ‘The Dumpling Galaxy’ asks
‘what does a dumpling make us feel?’. He says they are ‘a food with no social pretensions’ that focuses on ‘condensing delight…combining lots of flavours in one bite or two.’ Essentially, they are super adaptable, comforting meal packages. However, if we are adamant on finding a true definition it may be useful to look at when the word itself came about.
Barbara Gallani, in ‘Dumplings: A Global History’, explains that the word dumpling itself can be traced back to the 16th or 17th century when the noun ‘dump’ which has now fallen out of use probably actually meant ‘lump’ and given a diminutive suffix. These lumps of dough would have actually referred to something more akin to the German knodel made with flour, water and fat dropped into liquid. From an etymological point of view ‘dumpling’ is quicker to exclude dishes formed from wrapping a filling in dough. This is contrary
to the picture we tend to conjure up when we hear the word. Ironically, the word itself is only a few centuries old itself yet the Chinese have been making what we consider dumplings, for a couple of thousand years. That is what labels do, cause confusion. Perhaps nowhere is this confusion most evident in Italy, where bowls of gnocchi battle against plates of tortellini or ravioli for dumpling status! To recap, we have a word that originally meant a simple dough simmered in liq-
uid, which was then also applied to cover a completely different kind of dish, with more people identifying the latter as dumplings than the former. Basically, we are stuck with a word that refers to two distinct dishes, and there’s absolutely nothing we can do about it! Here are just a few examples that demonstrate the similarities, yet diversity found across the globe. A note of warning that this intro is only the teeny snowflake sitting atop the veritable tip of the iceberg.
"In their essence dumplings are simple yet complex bites, born out of thrift and ingenuity."
Chinese wonton
Shanghai tangbao
Japanese gyoza
Possibly the first style of dumpling that comes to mind. This is something of a catch all term for a variety of small Chinese dumplings that are served in soup. The wrapping is made of egg, flour, water and salt, while the filling is usually ground pork or shrimp with green onion and spices.
Easily one of the most comforting, yet dangerous foods you could eat. The soup in this variety is actually served inside the dumpling. They are steamed and bursting full of scorching, soupy goodness, often made with pork gelatine and occasional crab roe. The safer way to tackle them is to drink the soup with a straw and then nibble the dough afterwards.
Gyoza are crescent shaped dumplings filled with either meat or vegetables. They are the parallel to the Chinese jiaozi but tend to be heavier on the garlic. Both are usually panfried lending a crisp, golden bite but they can also be steamed or boiled.
Nepali momos Nepalese Momos are made from wrappers of a flour and water dough wrapped around cooked fillings that tend to lean towards fattier content for a silkier feel. Fillings vary all over Nepal and can even include Yak but they are almost always accompanied with a tomato based chutney.
Georgian khinkali
Jewish kreplach
Russian pelmeni
These are pyramidal fist-sized dumplings full of minced meat and spices, in particular cumin. The filling goes in raw, so the juices are trapped until you bite into them!
These dumplings are triangular and are traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah before the Yom Kippur fast, or filled with dairy and eaten on Purim. In the kosher tradition they will never include both dairy and meat in the same meal. They are often served in soup.
These Russian dumplings were first imported over by Asian traders but are more similar in appearance to tortellini. They are boiled and served with either sour cream or butter. They are similar to Ukranian varenyky and Polish pierogi but the latter are often then pan fried and the fillings so diverse that they warrant an article on their own.
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Method: Start by making the dough. In a large mixing bowl, pour the water and oil, then add the flour gradually. Mix everything using your hands. Flour your work surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes to work and stretch the gluten. Do not worry if the dough is tight – it should be that way, as you need it to be strong enough to hold the filling. Seal the dough in clingfilm and refrigerate for 1 hour or more. Mix the Maltese sausage meat with the diced onion, garlic, half of the measured water, cayenne pepper, thyme, zhoug green harissa, fennel leaves, black pepper, and sea salt flakes. Set aside and leave the mixture to absorb the water for 15-20 minutes. Add the remaining measured water and leave this to stand for another 10 minutes. In the meantime, prepare the pomegranate and tahini sauce. In a small mixing bowl, mix the garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, tahini, and pomegranate molasses. Set aside.
M A LT E S E S AUS AGE DUM P LI NGS WI T H P OM E GR ANATE + TA H I NI S AUC E Recipe by Yakof Debono Ingredients: Makes 15 dumplings – 2 hours For the dough: Water, 75ml Sunflower oil, ½ tablespoon Plain flour, 170g, plus extra for dusting For the filling: Maltese sausage meat, 150g Onion, 70g, diced Garlic cloves, 2, grated Cold water, 50ml
Cayenne pepper, pinch Freshly ground pepper, ½ tsp Zhoug green harissa, 1 tsp Dried thyme, 1 tsp Fennel fronds, 1 tbsp, finely chopped Sea salt flakes For the sauce: Garlic clove, 1, grated Lemon, Juice of ½ Tahini, 50g Olive oil, 2 tbsp. Pomegranate molasses, 3 tbsp.
Flour your work surface and roll the rested dough into a 35cm (14in) square, around 2-3mm thick. Important that the dough is not too thin as it needs to hold quite a heavy filling. Using the rim of a glass, cut out circles from the rolled dough and roll each circle a bit thinner (about 9-10cm diameter). Place just under a tablespoon of the meat filling in the centre of each rolled circle. With your fingertips, bring the edges of the rolled circle up over the filling, pinching the edges firmly to seal and form a pleated pattern. Keep the filled dumplings covered with a tea towel to prevent drying. Boil some well-salted water in a large pan and cook the dumplings in batches of 6-7 for about 8-9 minutes (or until they start floating to the top). Remove from the boiling water and serve hot dipped in the sauce.
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Method: Make the Strozzapreti by combining the ricotta with the eggs, pecorino, lemon zest, a good pinch of salt and a good grating of nutmeg. Squeeze out as much water as possible from the chard and finely chop. Mix with the other ingredients. Add in the flour and mix until everything is homogenous. Try not to over work. Dust a clean working surface with plenty of flour and generously coat 2 baking trays with flour. Take a tablespoon of the mixture and form in between very floured hands into an oblong/quenelle shape. Gently place on the baking sheet and repeat with the remainder of the mixture. Place in the fridge for at least an hour.
R I C O T TA S T R OZ Z AP R E T I WI T H FR E S H M I NT + S P R I NG GAR LI C S AUC E Recipe by Debbie Schembri Ingredients: Serves: 4 – Start to finish: 2 hours For the sauce: Mint leaves, 3 large handfuls Spring garlic, 2 whole, including greens Olive oil, 200ml Lemon, juice and zest of one Pecorino, 100g, grated Salt, to taste
For the Strozzapreti: Ricotta, 500g Pecorino, 200g, grated Red chard or regular, large bunch, blanched Plain flour, 3 tbsp Egg, 2 Fresh nutmeg, to taste Lemon, zest of one Salt, to taste Extra flour for dusting
For the cold sauce bring a pot of salted water to the boil and tip in the mint. Leave for 30 seconds and remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl full of ice to cool. Run water over it and then shake dry the mint leaves. Roughly chop the spring garlic and also blanch leaving it for 2 minutes to remove some of the harshness. Strain and chill as with the mint. Transfer the drained mint and garlic to a food processor or into a bowl in which an immersion blender fits comfortably. Add the remaining ingredients and blitz until a smooth sauce forms. Season with salt. Bring a pot of water to the boil and salt. Once at a rolling bowl lower in 6 Strozzapreti at a time and reduce to a simmer. The bubbles on a vigorous boil will break up the gentle dumplings and you don’t want that. Better to have patience. Wait till they float up to the surface, remove with a slotted spoon, bring back up to the boil and repeat with the remaining dumplings. Serve on top of a generous amount of the mint sauce a good glug of olive oil and more Pecorino cheese and fresh mint. Plate supplied by The Catering Centre
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The World Is My Dumpling! Debbie Schembri chats to Mr. Walter Zhan, the investor and owner of KOZA dumplings to find out more about his mission and ideology for bringing the best gyoza he possibly can to Malta.
When did your passion for cooking start and why have you chosen to focus specifically on dumplings specifically? In my generation, cooking was a basic life skill. I started cooking when I was very young. While both of my parents were working, I had to learn to cook to feed myself and my younger siblings. Growing up gyoza/dumpling/jianjiao is a staple food. (We use the word “gyoza” as it sounds close to “jiao zi”/ “jian jiao”.) People often say that gyoza is an easy meal to make, but for a beginner it’s nowhere close to simple. I learned to make gyoza with my mother over time and it became a way of bonding. My youngest daughter’s favorite food also happens to be gyoza (besides spaghetti Bolognese), so I make gyozas a lot at home while my little one “tries” to help. Did you feel there was a gap in the market in Malta? What do you feel you offer? I always wanted to invest in a venture to introduce authentic Asian food. I felt that most Asian restaurants and eateries here provided an American style of Asian food. I am aware that they have felt the need to adapt to local tastes, but I also feel strongly that real Asian food doesn’t consist of deep-frying or sweet and sour 060
pork. This popular Westernised dish is not easily found in any restaurants in Asia. Also, in Malta, gyoza and other Asian dumplings are often served as a starter and not as a main course or meal in their own right as they are in Asia. After a few years researching I was certain of my decision to invest in an eatery and business that would provide gyozas and baos with an emphasis on consistently good quality and affordable prices. I wanted people to start seeing gyozas and baos as part of a healthy balanced meal; much like how they’re consumed in Asian countries.
as my first meal once I returned to signify our reunion. This is the same for every Chinese parent. I spent years perfecting recipes, working in precise measurements, so that I could implement the recipes on larger scales for Koza Dumplings. Trying out recipes was also a lot of fun and if there was any social event, I would be there offering my gyoza for everyone to try. I found out that I had to reduce some spices to adapt to the local taste but that only meant that the quality of the raw ingredients had to be given even more importance.
Tell me briefly about the history of gyoza and why you feel so strongly about them.
To me, gyoza is part of my culture. It’s the flavour of home, the flavour that my mother taught me to make as a young child, and the flavour that hopefully my children will remember me by. No matter how long I had been away from home, I knew my mother would make me gyoza
Great gyoza should be replicable, with standardized recipes and manufacturing procedures. At Koza Dumplings we adopt standard operating procedures to ensure fresh ingredients are prepped and transformed into gyozas in the shortest time possible to preserve freshness. We also use SOP to produce consistency in flavour, portion, and the appearance of our gyoza. Of course, we also have measures in place to manage health and safety risks. Our packaging has also been chosen and made with the same care. We imported bio-degradable containers with designated slots for individual gyozas. We partner with Wolt and Bolt Food to ensure our food is delivered within reasonable waiting time from cooking, ensuring that our customers receive them at their optimum. Our gyozas are larger than others on the Maltese market, yet still very affordable which fits in with my idea to present dumplings as a main meal. We also have a unique piece of cooking equipment that is specifically designed and programmed for Koza dumplings.
Gyoza has thousands of years of history with some believing that they were invented as early as AD 25. During war time, a doctor wrapped meat and medicine and boiled them in soups to feed the poor and the wounded. Such an act of kindness lasted throughout the winter until the end of the lunar year. Until today, we make gyozas during lunar year festival. I’m originally from northern China but spent half of my life living in southern China. In the north, we usually boil gyozas and steam baos, and serve them as a main course. There are also pan fried gyozas being sold at every corner. But in the south, I felt people rarely made gyoza as a family meal. If gyozas are eaten they are generally boiled and served in soup. Nowadays you see several videos on tiktok about egg gyozas and soup baos which are from southern China. I’m always amazed how people adapt their cooking based on climate, habits, and ingredients available to them.
no additives and using as little oil as possible. As a testament to this I serve my children the same gyozas we sell at Koza Dumplings.
What makes your gyoza different and in your opinion, what makes yours a great product? Here at Koza Dumplings quality and quality food starts with quality ingredients. To make Koza gyozas, I tried six to seven different brands of wheat flour to choose the ideal flour, the same going for the yeast we use for baos. When it comes to proteins and vegetables it is the freshness that truly speaks to me. Even if they’re expensive, that is what I believe translates into deliciousness. I believe gyoza should reflect the seasons and local ingredients which is reflected in our menu updates. For example, in summer we will include lampuki gyozas! I’m not a fan of artificial preservatives or any other chemical additives, I want to make homemade soul food, that means
What plans do you have for the future? Gyozas are just the beginning, having just added baos. Gradually I will be adding dumplings for boiling as well as other Asian dishes to compliment gyoza/ jiaozi and bao as a main meal. In the long run, I plan to use my successful experience in other businesses to expand the Koza Dumpling brand, perhaps partnering with other businesses or franchising. Who knows what the future holds but I know it’s going to be exciting!
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Seafood Gyoza by KOZA Dumplings
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For the wrapper: Plain flour, 750g plus extra to dust Beetroot, juice of 2-3 average sized Start to finish: Approx 1.5 hours Method:
Seafood Gyoza from KOZA Dumplings Ingredients: Serves: 4-6 For the filling: Fresh and seasonal fish, deboned, 500g Prawns, peeled & deveined, 100g Chinese chives or regular chives, 100g Corn, 150g Eggs, 1 average sized Oyster sauce, 2 tsp Light soy sauce, 1 tbsp White pepper, ½ tsp Sugar, ½ tsp Chinese five spice, ½ tsp Ginger minced, ½ tsp Sesame oil, 1tsp Sunflower oil, 1 tbsp Salt, to season
Start by making the wrappers. Add a pinch of salt to the flour, gradually mix in the beetroot juice, adding water if needed, until you reach a relatively firm dough. Leave it to rest for 20 minutes. Move on to making the filling for KOZA seafood dumplings. It is imperative that the fish you use is really fresh and of good quality as it makes a difference to the final taste. Make sure the fish is properly deboned and then finely chop. Roughly chop the deveined prawns; it’s nice to bite into small chunks of prawn when eating gyoza. Chop the chives and corn very fine but not minced. Peel the ginger and mince. In a bowl mix together the chopped ingredients with the dry spices. Lightly beat the egg and incorporate. Gradually mix through the sauces finishing with the oil to ‘seal’ the flavour. Once the dough has rested, cut the dough into portions of around 10g each. Roll out each portion into thin round wrappers. Ideally wrappers should be slightly thicker in the center and thinner at the edges. Add a generous amount of filling into the centre ensuring that you have enough wrapper to crimp the edges into pleats. To pan-fry the gyoza, use a frying pan, deep enough to cover the height of the gyoza. A non-stick frying pan will ensure that none accidentally stick. Preheat the pan to approximately 180 C (this is easier to check on an induction hob). Brush the bottom with a little bit of extra virgin olive
oil (that’s what we use at KOZA Dumplings) and then lay your gyozas neatly in one layer. Be careful not to puncture or deform the gyoza. Once the bottom of the gyozas have firmed slightly, add water to about one third of the height of the gyoza. Then put the lid on and turn the temperature down to a medium heat. Depending on the pan you’re using it should take around 6-7 minutes for the gyozas to cook. Once cooked, the water should have evaporated, and the bottom of the gyoza should be golden brown. Serve immediately. Alternatively, you can steam the gyoza by lining your steamer with a liner or filter. At KOZA Dumplings, we use a silicone pad specifically designed for steamers. Lay the gyoza in single layers, evenly spaced. Add a fair amount of water to the steamer so that it won’t evaporate half-way through cooking. Once there is visible steam place the steamer over the pot making sure that there are very few gaps. They will take about 12 to 15 minutes to cook. Turn off the heat and leave to sit for another half minute. When steaming, gyozas can tend to deflate if served immediately. Enjoy eating your gyoza and try dipping them into these sauces: balsamic vinegar, or soya sauce mixed with chili sauce and grated garlic or even wasabi which matches well with fish!
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Ingredients: Serves: 3 to 4 Start to finish: Approx. 6 hours For the dough: Plain flour, 150g Hot Water, 90g (90 degrees c) Olive oil, 1tsp For the chicken stock: Free range chicken bones, 1kg raw Drinking water, 2-3litres Carrot, 1 Onion, 1 Celery stick, 1 Star anise, 2
Recipe by Sam Pizzuto and Amelia Bianchi of Ralphie and Jays
Pork Soup Dumplings...
Black peppercorns, 5 Ginger, 1 knob For the pork filling: Fatty pork mince, 300g Jellified stock, 150g Spring onion, Red chili, 1 Toasted Sesame oil, 1tsp Soy sauce, 1tsp Ginger, 20g Garlic cloves, 2 Salt, to taste Sugar, to taste Pepper, to taste
Method: Begin by making the stock. Place all ingredients into a large stock pot. Add water until everything is just submerged. Cover and bring up to a bare simmer. Remove the lid and turn the flame down to very low. Using a ladle or spoon occasionally remove the scum and fat from the surface. Cook the broth for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight. When ready, strain the liquid into a container and leave to cool slightly. Remove any leftover fat from the surface and refrigerate until cold. The natural gelatine in the broth should cause it to set. Next make the dough by adding the oil to the hot water mixture. Place the flour in a large bowl and combine the wet with the dry and stir until the mixture forms a warm soft ball of dough, if it seems a little dry, add a tsp of water. Transfer to a work surface and knead for about 5 minutes. Place back into your bowl, cover and let rest for an hour before rolling out. Make the filling by finely chopping the spring onion, chili, ginger and garlic into a coarse paste. Add salt, pepper, soy
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sauce and sesame oil and stir to incorporate. Add the jellified soup mixture and combine. Refrigerate until ready to use. To assemble, transfer the dough back onto the well-floured work surface and cut into equal portions, try and aim for a size slightly smaller than a golf ball. Roll out the dough into a circle with the centre slightly thicker than the outer of the dumpling wrapper. With the wrapper in your hand, place a small amount of mixture into the centre and fold in half, continue to press the edges together, (practise pleating, which will make them look very authentic) being sure to push out all the air and get a good seal. Steam Dumplings for about 10 minutes and leave to cool slightly before eating. Serve with Chinese vinegar or a mixture of balsamic and apple cider with some minced ginger.
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LET THE SUMMER BEGIN There’s nothing that screams alfresco drinks as much as a gin in hand! Whether you enjoy a classic G&T or like to mix things up in the cocktail department, our collection of gin cocktails will ensure your drinks repertoire is sure to dazzle at any rendezvous.
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T&T with Grapefruit A small batch distilled gin with delicious flavours of grapefruit, orange and lime. Paired with tonic and complimented with a grapefruit wedge for a bright and complex citrus flavour 30ml Tanqueray No. Ten Gin / 1 part 150ml premium tonic water / 3 parts To Garnish: Pink grapefruit wedge Fill a Copa glass to the top with quality cubed ice. Pour the gin followed by the tonic water. Add garnish and slightly stir to mix 1,4 units 069
GRAPEFRUIT JULEP Tanqueray No. Ten, grapefruit juice, sugar syrup and mint leaves. A twist on the classic cocktail for a more refreshing taste 50ml Tanqueray No. Ten Gin / 1 part 5 – 6 mint leaves 50ml pink grapefruit juice / 1 part 20ml sugar syrup Garnish: Grapefruit wedge and sprig of mint leaves In a Highball glass add the mint leaves (after clapping them between your hands to activate the aroma), pink grapefruit juice, sugar syrup and Tanqueray No. Ten. Fill half the glass with crushed ice. Churn (stir) with bar spoon. Fill the glass with more crushed ice and stir some more. Garnish and serve 2,4 units
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T&T WITH LEMON AND MINT A deliciously fresh gin made using rare Rangpur limes. Paired with tonic and garnished with a wheel of lemon and a mint sprig for a refreshingly zesty finish 30ml Tanqueray Rangpur Gin / 1 part 150ml premium tonic water / 3 parts Garnish: A sprig of fresh mint and a lemon wedge Fill a Copa glass to the top with quality cubed ice. Pour the gin followed by the tonic water. Add garnish and slightly stir to mix 1,2 units
T&T WITH ORANGE A step into the sun-kissed Mediterranean. A fruity and zesty gin with the uniquely bittersweet flavour of Seville oranges 30ml Tanqueray Flor de Sevilla Gin / 1 part 90ml premium tonic water / 3 parts Garnish: Squeeze a single wedge of orange and place in the glass Fill a Copa glass to the top with quality cubed ice. Pour the gin followed by the tonic water. Add garnish and slightly stir to mix 1,2 units
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THE SCIENCE BEHIND EATING WITH YOUR HANDS...
Words by Kieth Abela from Natural Preserves
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We have spent millennia eating with our hands, our bodies being naturally designed for consuming and enjoying our foods with them. So, what changed and why do we think it is more civilised to use cutlery to eat? Keith Abela from Natural Preserves takes us on a sensory and psychological exploration of the way we eat.
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utlery as we know it is a fairly recent feature of the standard Western table. Spoons are the more established of the trio, being around in some form since ancient times and accepted as a necessity for scooping up certain foods. The knife was slowly tamed from a death-causing object that was used to both kill and eat your food to the blunter versions we are now familiar with. This was helped along by King Louis XIV in the late 17th century. Another royal to force our fingers further away from the food was Catherine de Medici when she popularised the 3-pronged fork in the 16th century. Anything Italian was in vogue at the time and that coupled with human desire to emulate the rich and wealthy, helped it to rapidly catch on and become a mainstay in mainland Europe. >>
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"WHEN WE EAT WITH OUR HANDS OUR MIND HAS ALREADY SUBCONSCIOUSLY MADE DECISIONS ABOUT OUR ENJOYMENT OF THE FOOD WHICH WILL ACCENTUATE THE FLAVOURS AND TEXTURES OF THE ITEM."
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Fascinatingly and imperceivable to us, the shift towards eating utensils at mealtimes gradually changed small parts of our anatomy. Consider your jaw. Have you ever realised that the top and bottom are not perfectly aligned? Anthropologists have found that this slight overbite actually occurred because of our shift towards using cutlery. Centuries ago, faced with a tough piece of meat, we would grab it with our hands and rip chunks out of it by laying up one jaw directly above the other for a more efficient bite. It caused our face muscles to do more work, thereby strengthening our jaw and retaining better alignment. As cutlery began to do the bulk of the work, diffusing large chunks into more manageable bites, we no longer needed to work so hard to chew our food. This led to weaker jaw muscles that held our bite in place, now presenting as an overbite. In fact, cultures that still use their hands to eat have jaws that are more aligned than those that use cutlery. Equally as interesting as the effect cutlery has had on our bodies is the way that it can play with our minds. Whenever we eat anything we are engaging in a multisensory experience. From the smells around us, the sights, the sounds and even the tactile sensations can have an effect on how we taste our food. Every small action can affect the flavour of the food we eat. From the moment we set our eyes on the food on our plate the body sends millions of messages to our brain preparing it to see if we like it or not. Tactile sensations are one of the most important senses in this process and can be broken down into three parts. The first are tactile sensations in our mouth or what we like to call the ‘texture of foods’. The second is our chemosensory perception which detects the temperature or chemical irritants like menthol or capsaicin present in the food. And finally, but equally important, the tactile sensations we feel through our body while we eat. This can be anything from the weight of the cutlery to the clothes we are wearing that have the fascinating ability to influence the flavour of the foods we eat. When we eat with our hands our mind
has already subconsciously made decisions about our enjoyment of the food which will accentuate the flavours and textures of the item. A food which is crisp and crunchy is perceived as being fresher, a creamy food as being more luscious and luxurious. Just by grabbing a piece of cooked meat we can judge the tenderness, readying our bodies to decide how much force we will need to apply when eating it. It all comes down to our ‘caveman’ mind. We find foods that can be eaten with our hands inherently more pleasurable as our minds are fascinated by the collection of information that comes with it. However, eating with our hands can also confuse our brains. For the sake of experiments, try rubbing sandpaper the next time you eat a creamy Greek yoghurt. You’ll find that the rough texture of the sandpaper accentuates the acidity in the yoghurt, making it too unpleasantly sour to enjoy. We correlate external sounds, temperatures and textures to certain tastes found in our food. Rough materials such as denim highlights sourness, silk clothing accentuates creaminess, while sandy textures boost saltiness in food while crunchy foods diminish the perception of salt. Playing on this fascinating phenomenon, in the early 1900s the founder of the Futurist movement and famed Italian poet Filippo Marinetti, opened a very unique restaurant. Guests were asked to caress different materials while eating different foods or even change clothes between courses! Scientists and psychologists have continued to research this field and are often employed by cutlery and tableware design companies as consultants when developing new models. The texture of the plates, cutlery and even the glassware we use can affect our enjoyment of something we are consuming. For example, drinking water out of a mug makes the water taste better than if we drank it out of a plastic glass and yoghurt eaten out of a bowl is more enjoyable and tastes less sour than if we ate it out of a Styrofoam cup. This happens for two reasons. First of all, Styrofoam as a material is rougher than glazed ceramic which will boost acidic notes in
the yoghurt. Secondly, the weight of the vessel we eat or drink from also effects our perceived enjoyment of a substance. We tend to perceive heavier vessels as being better, thus also leading us to enjoy the food more. This is also true for cutlery. In our minds, weightier cutlery translates to a tastier meal. Similarly, wine in a heavy bottle also tastes better to the consumer. Because our mind creates this link it doesn’t necessarily mean it is true. Automatically, when we see water in a glass bottle, we assume that it is of better quality and thereby willing to pay more for it than if it were in a plastic bottle. It’s basic psychology; the heavier the better. There are some fascinating exceptions to this rule. Although we generally perceive wine as tasting better if we drink it poured out of a heavy bottle, it will taste even better if it is sipped out of a fine, delicate glass. Interestingly, barbequed foods seem to taste better if impaled with a stick and the more natural the stick the better the food seems to taste. This is probably linked to our primitive past where we didn’t have the luxury of utensils and grills, simply proteins skewered on sticks, cooked over an open fire, ready to share with your clan. Overall, it appears that the more natural and heavy the vessel or cutlery is, the better the food or drink will taste. It is strangely fascinating how in Western cultures only certain foods are socially acceptable to eat with our hands. Because of this we are really missing out on a holistic and immersive dining experience. Do yourselves, and your brain a favour and ditch the cutlery, share foods with friends and let’s re-experience the wonders of truly getting stuck into your food. You may want to keep a spoon on hand for boiling broths though!
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Ingredients: Chicken legs, 2, large Lard, 500g Eggs, 2 Rosemary, 4 sprigs Salt, as needed Cracked black pepper, as needed Garlic, halved with skin intact, 1 head Flour, as needed Breadcrumbs, as needed Sunflower oil for deep frying Wild mushroom ketchup from Natural Preserves, 1 jar Serves: 4 to 6 as a snack or starter Start to finish: Approx. 5 hours Method: Season the chicken legs with a little salt and leave them to sit for 5 minutes to absorb it. Melt the lard in a pan and add the black pepper, rosemary and halved garlic. Once melted add the chicken legs and cover the pan. Transfer the pan into the oven and bake at 140 C for 2 hours. Leave the chicken legs to cool in the fat for at least 30 minutes but no longer than 2 hours. Remove the legs from the lard and place into a container. Remove all the meat from the chicken leg, discarding the bones. Crush the meat till it can easily be formed into a ball. Roll the chicken into a log, alternatively roll it into individual balls the size of ping pong balls. Place them in the freezer for at least 1 hour to set. You may also make larger batches and freeze for up to 3 months. Ready 3 bowls. Place flour into one and season with salt. In another place the eggs and whisk till the yolks and whites are incorporated and in the other place the breadcrumbs seasoned with a little salt. Remove the set chicken form the freezer and if formed into a log, slice into rounds 2 cm thick. Coat the pieces individually in the flour until they are completely coated. Next place them into the egg mixture coating them well. Allow any excess to drip off before transferring them to the breadcrumbs and covering them completely. Deep fry the balls in sunflower oil or any other neutral oil and fry at 180 C till golden brown. Remove the croquettes from the oil and season again with salt. Serve with wild mushroom ketchup.
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Recipe by Keith Abela of Natural Preserves
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S U N F L O W E R
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Crumpets, 8 Butter, softened, 100g + 1 tbsp. White onions, 2, finely sliced Sugar, 3 tbsp. Pork skin, 20x20cm Kuhne crispy onions, 2 handfuls Fennel flowers, handful Apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp Water, 2 tbsp Salt, ½ tsp + more to taste
Method: Melt the butter in a frying pan and add in the onions. Fry for 10 minutes on medium heat stirring every so often. Add in a good pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon of the sugar. Continue to cook and caramelise for another 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Finely chop and stir into the butter. Add in another pinch of salt. For the crackling cut the skin into strips 2cm wide and simmer in a pot of salted water for 2 hours. Drain, dry thoroughly and chop into 5cm pieces. Heat the oven to 210C and drizzle the skin in sunflower oil. Bake in the oven until puffy, golden brown and crispy. Remove and allow to cool. Chop into small pieces and season with salt if necessary. To pickle the flowers, combine the remaining sugar with the salt, vinegar and water and immerse. Leave to pickle for at least an hour. To serve, toast the crumpets in the oven at 180C, spread them
Crumpets With Caramelised Onion Butter, Kuhne Crispy Onions + Pickled Fennel Flowers Plate supplied by The Catering Centre – Teapot from Tettiera www.tettiera.com 079
by Sam Pizzuto and Amelia Bianchi of Ralphie
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Olive oil, as needed Pepper, to taste Salt, to taste Serves: 2 Start to finish: Approx. 3 hours
CHICKEN TACO WITH FENNEL SLAW AND CONFIT GARLIC MAYO Serves 2 – Prep time 20 Min by Sam Pizzuto and Amelia Bianchi of Ralphie
Ingredients: For confit garlic: 3 tsps of Bresc chopped garlic Sunflower oil, 500g Fresh thyme, 1 sprig For Aioli: Room temperature milk, 100ml 3 tsps of Bresc chopped garlic Pre-prepared garlic oil, 200ml Salt, to taste White vinegar, to taste For the yeasted flatbread: White flour, 200g Warm water (40°), 115g Salt, 1 tsp Active dry yeast, ½ tsp White sugar, ½ tsp Olive oil, 1 tbsp For brick chicken: Chicken legs, 2, deboned Sunflower oil or chicken fat, 1 tbsp For Chicken Chicharron: Chicken skin, 200g, chopped into 4cm pieces For fennel slaw: Fennel bulb, 1 Kohlrabi (Gidra), 1, peeled Lemon, juice of one Honey, 1 tsp Capers, 1 tbsp
Method: Start off by making the confit garlic. This is a larger batch and can be used for other recipes to add a wonderfully sweet depth to dishes. In a small cast iron pot, add 5 bulbs of cleaned, peeled garlic cloves and 500ml of sunflower oil. Ensure the garlic is submerged in the oil. Set the burner to the very lowest flame possible and leave covered for 1hr. Alternatively, place in an oven proof container and roast at 140 C for 2hrs. Once the garlic is very soft, remove from the fire and leave to cool. Strain the mixture making sure to save both the oil and the garlic. Whilst the garlic is slowly cooking get started on the yeasted flatbread dough. Prepare a basket or bowl by placing a tea towel inside, large enough to place and cover your flatbreads. Add the flour and salt to a large bowl. In another smaller bowl mix a tsp of dry yeast, warm water and a pinch of sugar. Allow to activate for 10 minutes. Mix the wet ingredients into the dry. Transfer to a work surface to knead it for a few minutes. Once you have achieved a smoother texture, place it back into your large bowl with some oil to prevent it from sticking. Cover with a tea towel and leave in a warm place until doubled in size or in the fridge for up to a week. As the dough rises, you can start preparing the fennel slaw, chicken chicharron, aioli and chicken. For the aioli add the milk and confit garlic cloves to a high sided cylindrical container or measuring jug. Blitz with an immersion/stick blender until smooth. Add all the
oil to the container and leave to settle on top of the milk. With the blender fully submerged in the liquid and in contact with the bottom of the container, slowly start to incorporate together until a thick Aioli has formed. Adjust the seasoning with salt and white vinegar. Transfer to squeezy bottle and place in the fridge. For the fennel slaw, drain the capers and chop into a coarse paste. Get a small bowl to make your dressing and add some olive oil, honey, chopped capers, salt and pepper and whisk until homogeneous. Slice the fennel and kohlrabi as thin as possible using a mandolin if you have one and then slice into thin strips. Reserve the fennel fronds as a garnish. In a large bowl add the fennel, kohlrabi and the lemon juice. Toss together and leave to marinate for at least 10 minutes. Drain the excess liquid and mix in the dressing. To make the chicharron place the skin into a small non-stick pan and set to low, cover and leave for 2 minutes. Once some of the fat has rendered, uncover, and stir. Increase the heat to medium-high and let the skin fry in its own fat until crispy. When ready strain out the excess oil and transfer skins to a paper towel. Roughly crush before serving.
then turn to a low heat for another 10 minutes, until the skin is golden brown. Flip the chicken, turn off the heat and leave till rest in the pan. Slice the chicken into 1cm strips and reserve. As the chicken cooks finish off the flatbreads. Remove the dough from the bowl and place onto a floured work surface. Punch down and cut into equal portions. Roll out the dough balls into thin disks being generous with the flour to prevent sticking. You are aiming for the same size as the cast iron skillet you’ll be grilling them in. Prepare your skillet by heating it over a low flame until very hot. Add a touch of oil and swirl it around the pan. Add the rolled-out disk and fry for about 2 minutes per side. Visual cues are important at this stage, you want good colour and bubbles to form. Once ready, place them in the prepared basket and cover with the tea towel. Allow to steam. This will ensure they remain soft and easy to roll around your fillings. To construct the taco grab a taco add some fennel slaw, place a few strips of chicken, squeeze on some of your prepared Aioli and garnish with reserved fennel fronds and chicharron.
Debone the chicken legs according to the steps in the ‘Perfecting Of’ in this issue and season with salt. Once done, preheat your skillet, preferably cast iron, on medium low for a few minutes. Add a tablespoon of neutral oil and heat for about a minute. Place deboned chicken thigh skin side down into the pan. Place a weight onto the chicken, such as a heavy pot or another skillet, to ensure the skin is in full contact with the pan. Cook on a high heat for one minute and 081
Serves: 4 Start to finish: 1 hour Ingredients: Massaman curry paste, 1 tbsp Onion, 1 Large, diced Mussels 1kg ,cleaned Dry white wine, 600ml Ghee, 50g Cumin seeds, ½ tsp Garlic cloves, 2 Fresh Orange juice, ½ an orange. Salt, as needed Pepper, as needed
Recipe by Sam Degaetano
For the salsa: Monkfish 500g Ghee, 1 tbsp Sesame oil, 1 tbsp Olive oil, 1 tbsp Tomatoes, 2 Green pepper, 1 Spring onion, 1 medium Chili flakes, ½ tsp Coriander, 100g Lime Juice, 1 Sumac, ½ tsp Method: Start by making the salsa to allow time for it to marinate. Chop the tomatoes, spring onion, green pepper and coriander finely. Toss together in a bowl, add the lime juice, oils, spices and chili flakes, mix well. Add half a cup of water, cover and set in the fridge for later. Season the monkfish with salt, olive oil and lemon juice, refrigerate for approx. 30 minutes. Place a skillet with a tablespoon of ghee over medium heat. Once hot, place the fillets in the pan and cook for around 4 mins on each side. Set aside for 15 minutes. Once cooled, dice the fillets nicely and add it to the refrigerated salsa. Mix well set aside for serving. In a large pot heat the rest of the ghee, add the garlic and cook until softened. Remove the garlic and let cool. >>
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Toss in the cumin seeds and roast for 1 minute, add the Massaman Paste and mix well. Add the diced onions and keep cooking for 5 minutes on medium heat. Season with salt and pepper along the way, as needed. Add the wine and cook for another 5 minutes. Toss in the mussels, cover the pot and cook for about 6-7 minutes or until they open. At 3 minutes mix in the orange juice and stir to distribute all the flavors. Once all or most of the mussels have opened, remove from the heat and set aside for plating. To plate place the cooked mussels and juices in a large serving bowl and toss evenly with the monk fish salsa. Garnish with any left-over coriander.
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WILD DINING, IN THE SWISS ALPS
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E BLISSFUL, Kieran Creevy lures us out into the Alpine countryside with the smells of plums being roasted on the skillet and a light pork stew perfect for this Spring weather…
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he rain that’s been thundering through the night and early morning stops as though shut off by a tap. The silence is eerie after so many hours, pulling me from a fitful sleep. Padding downstairs and onto the balcony, the sight that greets me is glorious. From edge to edge, the sky is an unbroken pale blue. After two days of almost constant thunderstorms, we have the perfect weather for a mountain hike and wild dinner in the Swiss Alps.
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..."Finding a tiny patch of open meadow with wildflowers, it’s time to get serious and start cooking"...
Our meals are already planned, the fridge packed with local produce; marinated pork and wild mushrooms, wine and cheese, and some tiny plums from an orchard a few kilometres down the valley. It’s time to load our packs with food and a camping stove, additional layers, and some minimal camping gear; in case we decide to bivi above the tree line for one night. It’s just after 11am when we emerge onto the first plateau, the milky blue glacial lake below us ringed with granite cliffs and thickly forested hillsides. Unfortunately, the lakeshore is a bit too crowded for our tastes, so it’s time to shoulder our packs once more and head up the steep switchbacks. Higher still, we pause to refill our bottles and dip our heads in a glacial spring. The icy cold sends shivers down our backs even in this heat. Finding a tiny patch of open meadow with wildflowers, it’s time to get serious and start cooking. >>
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Method: Before heading out the door: Season the pork, and store in a well chilled food flask (Depending on the flask, it should keep the food cold between 4 and 8 hours). Pack the mushroom in a durable container so it doesn’t squash inside your pack. Transport the root vegetables in a silicone drybag.
Pork, white wine and root vegetable stew. Serves 2 120g wild pork, boar or farmed pork, chopped into big cubes 2 carrots 2 large or 4 medium potatoes 2 spring onions 2 cloves garlic 1 onion 1 large porcini mushroom 1 glass white wine: either take the bottle up the mountain for a dinner tipple, or decant into a leakproof container. NB (remember to bring the empty bottle back down) 1 tbsp olive oil - decant into a small leakproof bottle Water Salt, pepper and 1 cube vegetable stock transport in a small leakproof container
At lunch/in camp: Peel the carrots and slice into thin rings and chop the potatoes into thumb sized cubes. Slice the onion into rings and peel and chop the garlic. Light the Windburner and add the olive oil. Cook the diced onion and garlic for 1-2 minutes at a simmer. Add the white wine. When simmering, add the stock cube, 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp pepper. Add the chopped potatoes and carrots, 1 cube of pork and top with clean water so that they’re all covered. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the carrots and potatoes are barely cooked through. Add the rest of the pork, slice the mushroom, add to the pot and cook until the pork is white all the way through but still juicy. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Turn off the stove and cover. Finely dice the spring onion. Spoon one serving into Windburner bowl, leave one in the Windburner pot, top both with diced spring onion and any edible wild herbs or flowers. NB: the flowers in the photo are for decoration only and please be certain you know what you are picking and that you have confirmed that they are edible with someone knowledgeable. 089
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Ingredients:
Onion, 1, finely chopped
Potatoes, 6 large
Orange blossom water, 3-4 tbsp
Leeks, 2, thinly sliced
Orange, zest of 1
Minced lamb, 800g
Water, 300ml
Sun-dried tomato conserve, 60g
Sea salt flakes and black pepper
Harissa paste, 2 tbsp. Turmeric, 1 tbsp + 1 tsp
Fresh parsley, 1 tablespoon, chopped
Cinnamon, 1 tbsp + 2 tsp
To garnish:
Fennel seeds, 1 tbsp
Feta
Ground ginger, 2 tbs
Pomegranate seeds
Eggs, 2
Thyme
Olive oil, 2 tbsp Plain flour, as needed Garlic cloves, 2, grated
Serves: 4 to 6 Start to finish: 3.5 hours
Recipe by Yakof Debono
DELICIOUS STUFFED POTATOES WITH LAMB + ORANGE– BLOSSOM WATER
Method: Peel the potatoes and slice them into thick wheels, approx. 6cm. Soak the sliced potatoes in some salted water for 1-2 hours. After the soaking period, drain and use a knife to make an incision horizontally halfway down the potato, only going three-quarters of the way through. Preheat the oven to 180°C or 160°C if fan assisted. In a large mixing bowl, combine the minced lamb, leeks, half of the sun-dried tomato conserve, harissa paste, 1 tablespoon turmeric, 1 tablespoon cinnamon, 1 tablespoon fennel seeds, 2 tablespoons ground ginger, teaspoon of salt and black pepper. In a medium-sized shallow bowl, beat the eggs with the remaining teaspoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon water. In a separate shallow bowl, sprinkle a handful of plain flour. Fill the incision you made in the potato round with a tablespoon of the lamb mixture, ensuring you are pressing it in firmly with your fingers. Dip each filled potato piece in the beaten eggs and then transfer them to the flour and coat well. Heat a heavy-based skillet on medium heat and warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Fry the stuffed potatoes in small batches until golden on both sides. Leave them to rest on some paper towel. For the sauce, drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil into a pan and fry the onion and garlic cloves together with the remaining sun-dried tomato conserve, 1 teaspoon of turmeric, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, pinch of salt, and pepper. Cook for around 4 minutes. Add 300ml of water and bring everything to a boil. Reduce the heat and leave it to simmer for 10-12 minutes. Pour the sauce into large baking dish and transfer the fried stuffed potatoes into the sauce. Add the orange zest and the orange blossom water. Bake for 30 minutes, rotating the dish after 15 minutes. Serve warm with some crumbled feta, pomegranate seeds, and thyme. 091
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Recipe by Sam Degaetano Serves: 2 Start to finish: 1 hour
CONFIT FENNEL ON A BEET + YOGURT SALAD Ingredients:
Method:
Fennel bulb, large, halved
Preheat the oven to 180°C. Add the ghee, coconut sugar, salt, water and saffron in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and set aside.
Beetroot, 2 medium Ghee, 60g Coconut sugar, 30g Salt, 3tsp Water, 350 ml Saffron, 1 pinch Greek yoghurt, 1cup Tahini, 2 tbsp Oil, 2tbsp Lemon, half, juiced Harissa, 4 tbsp Radishes, 4, sliced
Place the fennel halves cut side down in a baking dish that will fit them snuggly. Pour over the saffron and ghee mixture, then cover the tray in foil. Cook in the oven for about 45 minutes, turning the fennel around at 25 mins, until soft. In the meantime, mix the Greek yoghurt tahini, oil, harissa and lemon together. Spiralise the beetroots on a thin blade. Mix with the dressing and set aside. To serve curl a hand full of the beet salad with tongs and place in the center of your plate. Place a cooked fennel halve on top. Pour some left-over juices from the bake and garnish with fennel leaves and sliced radish.
Astarte DOK Malta is made of carefully selected Vermentino grapes grown on terraced vineyards in close proximity to sea. Distributed by S Rausi Trading, Gzira. Tel: 2133 0447 email: info@srausi.com – www.meridiana.com.mt
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A taste of Ethnic Mediterranean history +356 27794171 www.hammettsmacina.com Triq il-31 ta’ Marzu, Xatt Juan B. Azopardo, L-Isla ISL 1040 Malta
A vibrant Meso-South American culinary journey 094
+356 2010 4488 • No. 11, Triq Schreiber, St. Julians www.hammettsmestizo.com
An Asian Fusion gastronomical experience +356 2134 1116 www.hammettsgastrobar.com 33/34, Tigne Seafront, Sliema SLM 3011
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Recipe by Debbie Schembri
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DESSE RT S 097
Ingredients: For the shortcrust pastry: White flour, 200g Icing sugar, 30g Salt, 5g Cold butter, 100g Egg, 1 Recipe by Sam Pizzuto and Amelia Bianchi of Ralphie and Jays
For the strawberry coulis: Strawberries, 300g Jam sugar, 100g Lemon, juice of 1 Rum or whiskey, 10g For the vanilla pastry cream: Egg, 1 Cornflour, 16g Whole milk, 120g Cream, 120g Sugar, 35g Butter, 25g Vanilla pod, 1, optional Serves: 8 Start to finish: Approx 1.5 hours
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Method: In a large bowl or food processor, add the flour, sugar and salt. Pulse to combine until a wet sand like texture is achieved. Add the egg and mix until a ball of dough has formed. Place in plastic wrap and leave to rest in the fridge. After 45minutes, remove the dough from the fridge and place on a well-floured work surface. Roll out disks the size of your tartlet cases and a long strip for the sides. Blind bake pastry for about 20 minutes at 190 C. Once cooked, transfer to a wire rack to cool. For the pastry cream, in a small bowl whisk together the egg and corn flour until well combined and no lumps remain. In a pot, add the vanilla seeds and heat the milk, cream and sugar until it comes to a boil. Add a ladle of hot liquid to the egg mixture while whisking. Add up to half of the liquid to the egg and then transfer everything back to the pot. Cook the cream while constantly whisking. Once it has thickened slightly, cook it at a boil for a full minute (while still whisking). After a minute take it off the heat and allow to cool for about 30 seconds. Whisk in cubes of cold butter to the cream until fully incorporated. When ready quickly transfer to piping bag or place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the cream to prevent a skin from forming. To make the strawberry coulis remove the strawberry leaves, wash and set aside. Add strawberries to a blender and liquidize. In a heavy bottomed pot, add your strawberry juice, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and try to avoid stirring or adjusting the heat in the process. Add your alcohol of choice. After about 5 minutes, give the mixture a stir and take a teaspoon of the jam and place it on your plate. If it cools to a consistency that is thick then the coulis is ready. If it’s still a little runny then continue to cook for a few more minutes. To assemble place a pastry case onto a plate, spoon in enough coulis to cover the bottom, pipe in a layer of pastry cream and garnish carefully with fresh strawberry halves in a circular pattern. 099
Ingredients: Filo pastry, 6 sheets Ground almonds, 200g Orange blossom water, 2 tbsp Rosewater, 2 tbsp Caster sugar, 130g Oranges, zest of 2 Lemons, zest of 2 Ground cinnamon, 2 tsp Fennel seeds, 1 tsp Butter, 100g, melted Pistachios, 75g, crushed Icing sugar for dusting Serves: Makes 12 to 14 rolls Start to finish:
Method: Preheat the oven to 200°C or 180°C if fan assisted. Prepare a large baking dish and line it with baking paper. In a mixing bowl, combine half of the melted butter with the ground almonds, caster sugar, orange blossom water, rosewater, citrus zests, half of the pistachios, fennel seeds, and cinnamon. Mix well until you form a thick paste.
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Cut each filo sheet in half and turn each slice horizontally in front of you. Using a tablespoon, divide the thick almond filling into 12 portions on the sliced filo sheets. Position the filling along the bottom line of the filo sheet and one portion should be approx. 9cm long with a sausage-like thickness. Fold the bottom line of the filo sheets over the sausage-shape filling and press the filling in the sides as you roll. Brush the final flap of the filo sheet with some melted butter and scrunch the edges
with your hands to finish. Put the spring rolls on the lined baking tray and brush each one with the remaining melted butter. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown, rotating halfway through. To serve dust with icing sugar and scatter over crushed pistachios. Denby Heritage tea cup provided by Tettiera
Recipe by Yakof Debono
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Recipe by Kieren Creevy Photo by Lisa Paarvio
Plum, oatmeal, lemon zest, olive oil and blackberry crumble Equipment: Ingredients: 10 small ripe plums 1 cup porridge oats Zest of 1 lemon & juice of 1/2 lemon 2 tbsp caster sugar 1 tbsp olive oil - decant into a small leakproof bottle 6-8 ripe blackberries Optional: Sweet raspberry or strawberry balsamic, wild alpine strawberries, bilberries or raspberries. Serves 2 Method: Before heading out: Mix the oatmeal, lemon zest and sugar together and store in a leakproof container. Pack the plums and lemon (zested but leave whole) in a silicone dry bag. In camp: Halve and stone the plums. Light the Windburner stove, turn to medium and place the skillet on top. When warm, place the plums on the skillet - flesh side down. Char lightly for 1-2 minutes, then flip over. Cook for another minute then add the olive oil and lemon juice. Cook for another 30 seconds, then add the oatmeal mix. Mix well, ensuring the oats are well toasted. Serve on plates, topped with blackberries or other wild edible berries
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Ingredients: White flour, all purpose ,500g Eggs, whisked , 100g Whole milk, 300g Unsalted butter , 100g Salt , 10g White Sugar , 30g Yeast , 20g Brown sugar , 50g Cinnamon, ground , 5 g Banana & caramel jam, a Natural Preserves product, 1 jar Serves: 4 to 6 Start to finish: Approx. 4 hours
Method: Place the salt, white sugar, eggs, milk, flour, and yeast together in a mixing bowl, and knead for around 15 minutes or preferably use a dough hook attachment on a planetary mixer. While kneading, chop the butter into small cubes and place in the fridge. When the dough looks fully combined, whilst still mixing, slowly add the butter cubes. Keep mixing until the butter has been fully combined. Cover the dough with a wet cloth and leave the dough to double in size. Knock down the dough on a surface and grab each end and stretch and fold it into the centre, pinching the seam to try and trap as much air as possible in the dough. Combine the brown sugar with the cinnamon. Twist off small pieces about the size of a golf ball of the dough and roll them in the mixture of sugar and cinnamon. Place the rolled dough pieces in a mould of your choice, piling the dough on each other, cover the mould and leave to double in size. Bake in an oven preheated to 180 C and cook for around 30 minutes. Remove the bread from the mould and place on a cooling rack. While still hot, cover the bread with the jam, glazing it seeping into the enriched bread. Leave to cool till room temperature and then have fun ripping bits off! 104
Recipe by Keith Abela of Natural Preserves
Cast Iron Cocette, supplied by The Catering Centre
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Ingredients: For the ice-cream: Fennel, 1 medium bulb, finely sliced Coconut sugar, 4 tbsp Green Cardamom, 3 seeds Full fat Coconut milk, 1 can For the Short bread: All purpose flour, 2 ½ cups Coconut sugar, ¾ cup Vegan butter, 1 ½ cups Pure vanilla extract, ½ tsp For the orange caviar: Orange, 1 Agar Agar, 4g Vegetable oil, 2 cups Carob honey or syrup, 1tsp Edible flower, 1 Small Plastic syringe Serves: 4 Start to finish: From 10 hours
Method: Begin by making the ice cream by combining the fennel, sugar, cardamon and coconut milk in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer, about 5 mins. Lower the heat and let steep for another 10 minutes. Allow to cool off the heat and set in the fridge. Ideally, leave it overnight or for a few hours. Once the flavors have been infused, pass the mixture through a sieve leaving you with a fennel and cardamom milk. Add the mixture to your ice-cream maker and churn for the machine recommended time. Place into an air-tight container and into the freezer. To make the vegan shortbread preheat the oven to 180°C. 106
Recipe by Sa
am Degaetano
In a large bowl, stir the flour and sugar together. Add the vegan butter and vanilla and mix until blended well. The dough will look crumbly and soft but should squash together when squeezed. On the centre of a sheet of baking paper form the dough into a ball. Use another piece of baking paper for the top, and roll the dough to about 1/2 an inch thick. Cut into the desired shapes and place on baking sheets. Bake in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes, until the bottom is golden. Let cool. To make the orange caviar pour 2 cups of oil into a jug and set in the freezer to cool for 30 minutes. In a small saucepan mix the orange juice and Agar Agar and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and with a small syringe, suck up the juice and slowly drip the heated orange into the cooled oil. The small droplets should form into balls and sink to the bottom of the jug. Once all the mixture has been added strain through a sieve. Rinse the caviar with water and set aside. To plate, remove the icecream from the freezer, about 10 minutes before serving, allowing it to soften. In the meantime, lightly crush some shortbread pieces and mix with a teaspoon of carob honey. Set the crushed biscuit at the base of the plate. Scoop out 2 servings of ice-cream, and place on top. Finish by adding the orange caviar around the dish and garnish with flower petals. 107
Cultivating Quality
To order please send an email on mgarrmushrooms@gmail.com or 79289297
Some of our fabulous flavours to enjoy this sizzling season
Grab One While You Can! Give in to the temptation of Benna’s new Limited Edition Red Velvet Milkshake. Its silky, smooth flavour is guaranteed to satisfy that sweet craving and has made it an instant success… so don’t miss out and grab one while you can!
Love Pesto? Then you’ll love the new Mutti range of Pesto Style Stir Through Sauces. Available in three flavours – Rosso, Verde & Arancione. Each is made with 50% perfectly ripe Mutti tomatoes and packed with authentic, quality ingredients including herbs, Italian cheeses (such as Pecorino Romano & Grana Padano) and creamy nuts (such as Cashews & Almonds), . Simply stir through hot pasta for a quick, wholesome and delicious meal.
Wine of the Isuue
Oh My Goodness! Bao zi by Koza Dumplings These pillows of deliciousness will be on your tables very soon! Koza Dumplings will start producing these yeast-leavened buns filled with yummy fillings of either pork, beef, vegetables and also sweet red bean. Served steamed these portable meals were invented in the 3rd century by a military strategist and have stuck around ever since. It’s no surprise that these are Kung Fu Panda’s alltime favourite snack and will soon become yours too!
Meridiana Wine Estate’s Nexus DOK Malta is a premium red wine made exclusively from hand-picked, locally grown Merlot grapes. Nexus has a clear, deep, purple-red colour and intense, ripe, cherry-plum aromas. These rich, well-structured fruit flavours play alongside soft tannins and a long finish. For more information about Meridiana’s complete range of wines please visit www.meridiana.com.mt
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'PANTRY'
Here are some food brand essentials used to create the delicious recipes in this issue
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LOCATIONS Sliema Valletta St Julians | Attard St. Paul's Bay | Fgura | Ibrag | Gozo |
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Ta’ Qali, ATD4000 Tel: +356 2141 3550 • Email: info@meridiana.com.mt
www.meridiana.com.mt Winery Tours & Wine Tasting by appointment
Wine & Spirits Merchants
Stadium Street, Gzira, GZR1301 Tel: +356 2133 0447 • Mob: +356 7909 3197 • Email: info@srausi.com
www.srausi.com
Meridiana Wine Estate
IMPROVED TASTE!
SE FREE VANILLA LACTO
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