Timpana - pastry covered maccaroni

This is a very popular Maltese dish - we would often eat it at Christmas or some other occasion. Its is a super carb dish so should be eaten in moderation! The addition of chicken livers really adds to the flavour - but can be omitted for the faint of heart! I would often make the pastry from scratch, using a semi-short recipe. I have come across some others that use puff pastry but that isn't strictly correct.

Ingredients

1.5 lb pastry

1.5 lb. macaroni

1 lb. minced meat(mixture of beef and pork)

4 oz. chicken livers

6 oz. crushed tomatoes

1 chopped onion

2 oz. grated Parmesan cheese

2 tbs tomato paste

1/4 pt. chicken or vegetable stock

2 hard boiled eggs(chopped)

1 aubergine, sliced very finely and fried or grilled.

4 eggs(beaten)

2 cloves of garlic

olive oil

salt and pepper

Method

Fry the onion and garlic.

Add the meat and liver, fry until cooked.

Add the tomatoes and the tomato paste. Cook for a few seconds.

Slowly add the stock and simmer till the meat is tender.

(or you can make a bolognaise of your choice)

Boil the macaroni (al dente!) drain and cool.

Add the sauce, aubergine, cheese and hard boiled eggs and stir well.

Roll the pastry , not too thick, and put into a greased dish with enough over the edges to cover the top

Pour the mixture and cover with the pastry.

Brush the top with beaten egg

Cook in a moderate to hot oven.

You could also just put the pastry on top, to minimize the carbs (ha ha ha) but the real recipe calls for the pasta to be completely wrapped in the pastry.

Omelette Souffle

The telegraph on line has some of the best recipes.

Check out their site here. I couldn't resist this recipe - it takes the humble omelette  and turns it into a souffle

Ingredients

• 2-3 eggs (per person)
•  filling of your choice i.e cheese and onion or mushroom

Method

• Seperate the egg yolks. 
  
  Whisk the egg whites until stiff like a meringue mix. 
  
  Fold in the yolks just before cooking.
  
  If the filling includes onion or mushroom, saute in a small knob of lard for a few minutes before adding the omelette mix on top.
  
  If using grated cheese, sprinkle on top.
  
  Turn only once if possible, folding over in half and cooking slowly to dry out the mixture.
  
  I find it better to make one at a time as the whites will become watery whilst cooking the first, reducing the light, fluffy texture.

Swordfish with capers

I found this recipe on Saveur and had to post it here.
Its very typical of the way we make swordfish in malta.
Here is the recipe:

4 swordfish steaks (about 6 oz. each 
   and 3/8" thick), skin removed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black 
   pepper, to taste
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 cups whole peeled canned tomatoes, 
   drained and minced
1/2 cup large green olives, such as 
   cerignola, pitted and roughly 
   chopped
3 tbsp. salt-packed capers, soaked 
   and drained
1/4 tsp. crushed red chile flakes
2 tbsp. roughly chopped flat-leaf 
   parsley
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1. Season swordfish with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a 12" skillet over high heat. Working in two batches, add swordfish and cook, flipping once, until golden brown and medium rare, about 3 minutes. Transfer swordfish to a plate, leaving oil in skillet.

2. Reduce heat to medium; add garlic and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, and chile flakes and cook, stirring, until tomatoes soften and release some of their juices, about 5 minutes. Return swordfish steaks to skillet, nestling them in the sauce, and add parsley and lemon juice; cook until fish is cooked through. To serve, transfer swordfish to a platter and spoon sauce over top.