Celebrity Maltese Chefs and Recipe Enthusiasts

Anton Dougall
Renowned Maltese Chef Anton B Dougall has been on the culinary scene since the early 70’s. He was one of the first pioneers in the local scene to create a cooking club “Klabb tat-Tisjir”, which is still very active till today. With his monthly recipe cards, numerous cooking books and television exposure, Mr Dougall has revolutionized Malta’s cooking by documenting both traditional recipes and also creating innovative ones using quality local ingredients.
Anton B. Dougall has been an avid chef for over 50 years and his contributions to the Malta’s cooking culture should be highly merited.
Ossobuco

Sprinkle some salt and pepper on the meat. Chop the vegetables in small pieces. Warm some oil in a large pan and cook the vegetables for around 5 minutes and remove from pan. Dust the meat with the flour and remove any excess. Cook the meat for around 5 minutes on each side and remove from pan. Add the wine, stock and vegetables to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Place the meat in the pan and let simmer for around 90 minutes. You can alternatively cook in oven proof pan with lid on.
Octupus Stew

Cook the octopus in boiling water for around 35-40 minutes. Switch off the flame and leave it in hot water until cooled. Peel and chop the garlic and set asid. Peel and dice the potatoes in small pieces and place in a separate bowl with water. In a large pan, heat some oil and cook the onions and garlic. Mix regularly so they don’t brown. Add the Kunserva, the polpa, the potatoes, peas, red wine, lemon zest and the olives. Mix and simmer on medum flame until it starts to boil. In the meantime, chop the octopus in smaller pieces and add to the sauce. Continue simmerring for another 40 minutes. Every now and then give the sauce a stir. You may need to add some warm water if you notice that the sauce is reduced. Serve with some toated bread.
Homemade gnocchi with Semolina

Add the milk in a small saucepan and place on a medium flame. When it stats to boil, lower flame and add the semolina. Mix well using a whisker so that the semolina will not form into chunks. Cook for around 10 minutes while stirring all the time. Remove pot from the flame and add the grated cheese, the egg yolks, the butter and salt. Mix well and quickly place mixture on a flat wet surface. Spread the mixture evenly with a thickenss of 9mm using a wet knife to help you spread it easily and let it cool well… should be around 30-40 minutes. Switch on the oven on gas number 8. Cut out circles of the dough with a small glass and place in a well greased oven prood dish overlapping each other. Add some butter at the top and add the grated cheese. You may also add some fresh pepper. Cook in oven till cheese is melted and has a golden color .
Lamb Shanks

Heat the oven at a temperature of 1900C or gass mark 5. Clean the meat and place in an oven proof dish. Add the rosemary. Cook in oven until the meat is light brown from the outside. In the meantime peal and chop the garlic and the carrots. In a pan, warm some olive oil and cook the garlic and Mayor onions for around 2 minutes. Lower heat and add the carrots and some rosemary. Add the Kunserva, the wine and some water. Season with salt and pepper and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the bay leaves. Place the lamb chops in a casserole which has a lid. Pour the sauce on the meat and cook in oven for around 90 minutes. If needed, you can add some warm water while dish is cooking. Serve with some rice or roasted potatoes. Recipe by Anton Dougall
Chicken Casserole

Remove all visible fat on the chicken and divied it into around 8 pieces. Season it with some salt and pepper and after flour. Switch the oven to 1800C, gas number 4. Heat some oil in a large pan and cook the chicken. The chicken will not be fully cooked. When done, place in a casserole dish. In the same pan, cook the onions and mushrooms. Add the pepper and mix well. Add the Kunserva, the polpa, the bay leaf and the mixed herbs. Mix well. Add the wine and water, bring to a boil and then simmer on low flame for around 10 minutes. Add the tomato sauce on the chicken pieces, in the casserole dishe and cook in oven for around 1 hour and a half. Serve with some fresh parsley and some black olives.
Stuffed Calamari in Oven

Heat the oven at a temperature of 1800 C or gas number 4. Clean the calamrei and remove the ink sacks. Chop the wings of the calamari into small pieces and place in a bowl. Peel the garlic cloves and finely chopped and add to a new bowl along with the mushroom and the diced onions. In a large pan, heat the oil and cook the mixture for a couple of minutes. Us a food processor to finely blend the bread for breadcrumbs. Add to the chopped calamari. Add the mint, and season with salt and pepper. Mix both mixtures together to combine. Stuff the calamari tubes with the mixture. Close the ends of the calamari with a toothpick. Place in an oven proof pan and add some water. Cook for around 40-45 minutes. Serve warm with some salad, potatoes or rice. You can also serve with some tomato and caper sauce.
Swordfish with a caper and olive sa...

Add some salt and pepper on the fish. Peel and chop the garlic. Warm some olive oil in a pan and cook the garlic and onions while mixing all the time. Add the mint and look for around 1 minutes for flavours to infuse. Add the jar of tomatoes, wine, Kunserva and lemon rind. Simmer on low flame for around 30 minutes. In the meantime, heat a nonstick pan and cook the fish from both sides. Add the capers and olives and cook for a further 5 minutes. Serve the fish with sauce.
White Bait Patties

Clean the fish very well and roughly chop or press and set aside in a bowl. Peel and chop the garlic in small pieces. Finely chop the tomatoes and add to the fish along with the garlic. Add the parsley, mint and lemon rind. Mix well. Add the ready mashed potatoes, eggs, salt and pepper. Add some semolina if mixture is too sticky. Form small balls and lightly flat by hand. Pass the patties from some flour. Warm some vegetable oil in a deep pan and cook the patties from both sides until well cooked. When cooked, place on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Serve warm with some fresh salad and some tartar sauce.