AUTUMN SOUL – MATTIA & HAYLEY BUSUTTIL MURPHY

Autumn Soul

by Mattia & Hayley Busuttil Murphy

The last time Mattia had cooked for us, he was still a Busuttil, but after tying the knot with his long-time partner Hayley, he is now a Busuttil Murphy. We caught up with the newlyweds to discover what gastronomic promises they have in store for us this autumn.

Words by Nicolà Abela Garrett Photography by Julia Boikova

After an eventful summer, Hayley and Mattia have nested in their home in Sliema. Both of them are now ready for the colder weather, which is a prompt for heart-warming roasts, seasonal veggies and autumnal spices.

A lot has happened since we last spoke to Mattia. Since our last issue, Mattia has moved up in the world of business, but you’ll still find him cooking up a new venture or event idea event idea on the side. Meanwhile, Hayley will be taking a leap of faith after some time at Catena Media and Betsson Group, focusing on her own venture of savvy talent acquisition. Despite both being ambitious professionals, they truly believe that home is where the heart is, and food and family are key to a joyful life.

So, who’s the head chef? “Me!” they both reply, and laugh at their twinned response. With Autumn right around the corner, they’ve combined Mattia’s Maltese pride and love for local produce with Hayley’s hearty British heritage. This time, we spent the day in the kitchen overloading our senses, as we listened to the sound of herbs being chopped, soup bubbling in the pan, oils and ingredients crackling and spitting, while their toddler Amelia sang in the background. Whenever Mattia and Hayley cook, it’s safe to say that it’s an event in its own right. We’re talking hours of roasting, with plenty of side dishes to dress the mains, and a decadent dessert to finish off on a sweet note. They take their time to carefully select contrasting yet complementary flavours, but always with the end result in mind; a mouthful of flavour! Of course, all their effort brings us back to their love of hosting friends and family, and bringing people together. Their home is your home.

For this edition, Mattia and Hayley have foraged flavours of the Fall, with a selection of excellent ideas for a Thanksgiving meal or a family gathering on a cold evening. Soups are back in season, so be sure to give their cauliflower and parmigiano-reggiano soup a try. We’re mightily impressed with the Porchetta they’ve presented, and they’ve also given us a tasty tip for its leftovers. Of exceptional note, however, is their Dauphinoise. Nothing says luxury and comfort like this side dish. Read on for more inspiration:

 @cookinginmalta

INGREDIENTS

- 1 large head of cauliflower - 200 grams of Parmigiano-Reggiano - 30 grams salted butter - 270ml single cream - Sprinkle of grated nutmeg - Fresh sage leaves - Salt - Pepper - Half teaspoon smoked paprika - Extra virgin olive oil - 50 grams pine nuts

Cauliflower and Parmigiano-Reggiano Soup

Serves 8

METHOD

Trim and chop the cauliflower into chunks (save a few small pieces to roast)

Boil the cauliflower in salted water until soft

Drain and set aside

In a separate pan melt the butter over a low heat add the drained cauliflower and mash roughly

Toss the small cauliflower pieces in olive oil, salt and paprika and roast in a preheated oven for 15-20 minutes

Add in the cream and blend until smooth

Add nutmeg, salt, pepper, paprika and Parmigiano-Reggiano

In a small skillet, toast pine nuts for 30 seconds, keep them moving.

Taste, add seasoning to taste and serve

For a garnish sprinkle the pine nuts, sage leaves and toasted pine nuts on top with a drizzle on olive oil

Porchetta

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

- 1kg Pork Shoulder - 2.5kg Pork Belly - Zest of 2 Oranges - ½ Nutmeg seed (finely grated) - Handful of Rock salt - Handful of Pepper - Handful of Thyme - Handful of Garlic - Handful of Rosemary - Handful of Fennel - Handful of Sage - Handful of Fine salt METHOD

Chop all the herbs in preparation for seasoning, and grate the orange zest.

Lay the pork belly skin side up and score the skin, making sure to go about 0.5cm deep.

Butterfly the pork shoulder and season one side with rock salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, rosemary, orange zest, fennel, and sage, then roll it up, keeping the herbs inside. Set it aside for it to soak up the flavours.

Moving onto the pork belly, turn it over skin side down, and generously spread the remaining rock salt, pepper, thyme, garlic, rosemary, orange zest, fennel, and sage, making sure to cover the meat entirely.

Place the pork shoulder in the centre of the pork belly horizontally.

Depending on the size, roll the pork belly around the shoulder and tie together. You can either tie section by section, or, using one long piece of butcher's string, tie a knot at one end, go from one side to the other and pull tight at the end and tie.

Place on a tray with the skin side up, and leave it in the fridge overnight.

Bring out the Porchetta around 30 minutes before cooking, and apply a light layer of salt to help withdraw the moisture from the skins (this helps to create crackling).

Preheat the oven to 210 degrees, and wipe off the salt from the skin.

Place in the oven for around 4 hours (rule of thumb is 30 minutes cooking time per 500 grams).

If you see the skin start to catch and burn, cover with foil and lift off 5 minutes before the end of the roast to finish the crackling.

Always check if the porchetta is cooked using a meat thermometer.

INGREDIENTS

- 2 whole octopus - 1 large glass red wine (good quality) - 20ml olive oil - 700ml chopped tomatoes - Handful of capers - Handful of olives - 5 sundried tomatoes (sliced) - Zest of 1 lemon - 200ml kunserva - Salt and pepper to taste

INGREDIENTS

- Bag of Brussel sprouts - 5 slices streaky bacon - 2 slices of smoked back bacon - 1 white onion - 1 red onion - 2 tablespoons of honey - 25ml bullet bourbon whiskey - 2 garlic cloves (minced) - 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika - 2 teaspoons dark balsamic vinegar - 100ml water - Salted butter

Octopus Stew

Serves 8

METHOD

In a large pan of water, boil the frozen octopus until soft (usually around 20 minutes) and drain.

Heat a large casserole, pour in olive oil and sauté the garlic and onions until golden brown.

Add in the freshly chopped tomatoes and cook them down slightly, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add in the polpa, red wine and octopus, and stir together.

Then add the capers, olives, kunserva, sun dried tomatoes and lemon zest, and leave to simmer for as long as you like!

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve in a bowl with local Maltese bread on the side.

Brussels Sprouts with Bacon Jam

Serves 8

METHOD

Slice the bacon into smaller pieces and cook in a pan.

When the bacon is cooked, add the sliced onions and soften slowly.

When the onions have softened and started to turn brown, add all the other ingredients and cook down slowly.

When the jam has reduced, pour into a heat proof jar and leave to the side.

Trim and slice the sprouts in half.

Boil in salted water and drain when cooked through.

Toss in a pan with salted butter and serve with the bacon jam.

Dauphinoise Potatoes with Gruyère and Chive

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

- 6 large local Maltese potatoes - 500ml single cream - 300ml full fat milk - 4 cloves of garlic - 2 sprig on rosemary - Handful of chopped chives - Rock salt - Pepper - 100 grams Gruyère cheese METHOD

Preheat the oven to 200c (180c fan).

Peel the potatoes and thinly slice with a mandolin.

In a pan, add the cream, milk, garlic, rosemary, chives, salt and pepper and warm through.

Then add the sliced potatoes and cook until they start to soften slightly, but still hold their shape.

Use a slotted spoon to sift the potatoes out of the mixture and into an oven proof dish.

Lift out the garlic and rosemary, and pour the mixture over the potatoes until it just covers the top.

Sprinkle the gruyère cheese on top and place in the oven.

Cook for 30 minutes and until golden brown on the top.

Slice and serve.

Porchetta and Red Wine Reduction

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

- Juice from the porchetta - Splash of red wine - 10 grams salted butter - 10 grams corn flour

METHOD

Save the juice from the porchetta after it has rested.

Add to a pan by clarifying the liquid through a sieve.

Add the salted butter and stir through.

Add the corn flour through a sieve to thicken the reduction (add more corn flour if needed).

Finish with a splash of red wine.

Cook until it's at the required consistency and serve.

Poached Pears in Red Wine with Vanilla Ice Cream

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

- 4 pears - Red wine - 100 grams caster sugar - 1 cinnamon stick - 1 vanilla pod - 5 cloves - Vanilla ice cream - One squeezed orange

METHOD

In a pan, add the wine, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla, cloves and orange, and warm on a low heat.

Peel the pears and add to the mixture.

Cook on a low heat for 30 minutes.

Test the pears are cooked through with a knife.

Lift out to cool slightly.

Serve with vanilla ice cream.