Elegantly Contemporary

Red Chicory with Pistachio & Anchovy Elixir

Serves 8

Ingredients:

80g jarred anchovies, drained; 2 heaped tbsp pistachio pesto; 3 tsp of Bresc garlic; 2 tbsp lemon juice; 160ml extra-virgin olive oil; 110ml cold water; 1 tsp runny honey; Pinch of cayenne pepper; Few heads of red chicory, leaves separated.

Instructions:

If you're using a bullet blender, put the drained anchovies, pistachio pesto, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, the water, honey and cayenne pepper into the blender and blitz until you have a smooth sauce.

If using a stick blender, put the anchovies into a bowl with the garlic and lemon juice and blitz to a paste. Still blitzing, pour in a third of the oil, and when that’s well absorbed, add a third of the water, and carry on until both are used up. Blitz in the pesto, honey and cayenne pepper.

Arrange into individual dipping bowls and adorn with your chicory leaves around it.

Crostini with Truffle Honey, Lardo & Chestnuts

Serves 8

Ingredients:

20-24 thin slices of ciabatta; 2 garlic cloves, halved; Good extra-virgin olive oil; 250g white truffle honey; 125g cooked chestnuts; 24 very thin slices of lardo Thyme leaves

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 200°C or Gas Mark 6. Put the ciabatta slices on baking trays and bake for 10 minutes or until pale gold. Rub a cut garlic on each piece of toasted bread and drizzle each one with oil.

Gently heat the honey – do not boil – in a saucepan with the chestnuts. You want the mixture to be just warm. Put slices of lardo on each piece of bread and top with the warmed chestnuts and honey mixture. Scatter the thyme leaves and serve. Elegantly Contemporary Recipes / Images by Yakof Debono

Wine Pairing

Fenici White DOK Malta is made of an exquisite blend of Vermentino, Viognier & Chardonnay grapes. It has a vibrant, straw-yellow colour; aromas of exotic fruits with floral notes; and a fresh, light, citrus flavour with a lively acidity. For more info about Meridiana’s full range of wines www.meridiana.com.mt Trade Enquires: S Rausi Trading T: 21330447 email: info@srausi.com

Braised Rabbit in ‘Imbuljuta’ & Miso Sauce

Serves 4 – By Yakof Debono

Ingredients:

1 tbsp butter; 2 tbsp olive oil; 80g chorizo, diced; Pieces from 1 whole rabbit, or 8 rabbit legs; 1 tsp chili flakes; 250g dried peeled chestnuts; 500ml chicken stock; 100g sugar; 60g cocoa powder; 1 stick cinnamon; ¼ tsp each of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves; 4 whole cloves; Rind of 1 mandarin; 2 tbsp corn flour; 1 tbsp miso paste (or 2 tbsp dark soy sauce); Juice of 1 mandarin

Instructions:

In a large casserole dish over medium-high heat, fry the chorizo in the butter and oil for 1 minute. Add the rabbit pieces and sear on all sides. Add the chili flakes and the chestnuts and give everything a good stir. Cook for 1 minute.

Pour in the chicken stock. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and simmer until the rabbit is tender, around 1 hour.

Remove the rabbit pieces and keep warm in the dish covered with aluminium foil. Strain the sauce through a sieve into a clean saucepan. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, spices, mandarin rind, corn flour, miso paste and mandarin juice to the saucepan. Cook until reduced slightly. Taste for seasoning and adjust accordingly.

Arrange the rabbit on a serving platter, cover with the sauce and sprinkle with more mandarin rinds.

Wine Pairing

Isis DOK Malta is made from hand-picked, locally grown Chardonnay grapes. It has a fresh, complex bouquet of exotic fruits with gentle floral notes, and a well-structured, citrus taste with a long, pleasantly acidic aftertaste. For more info about Meridiana’s range of wines www.meridiana.com.mt Trade Enquiries S. Rausi Trading T: 21330447 email: info@srausi.com

Heirloom Carrots with HarissaCinnamon Butter

Serves 4 – By Yakof Debono

Ingredients: 450g heirloom carrots; 70g unsalted butter (or plant-based margarine); 1 tsbp harissa; 2 garlic cloves, crushed; ½ tsp ground cumin; ½ tsp ground cinnamon; ½ tsp paprika; 1 tsp dried parsley; Thyme leaves, to decorate.

Instructions:

Peel carrots and trim the excess green tops, leaving some of the green on top. Prepare an ice bath (a large bowl full of ice and water) and set aside. Bring a mediumsized pan filled with water to a boil. When the water reaches a boil, with tongs or a skimmer, carefully add a few carrots at a time. Reduce heat to a gentle boil and cook for approximately 5-6 minutes. Cooking time can vary based on the size of carrots. In the meantime, combine all the remaining ingredients (except the thyme) for the harissacinnamon butter in a small bowl. Set aside.

Using a small knife, test carrots for tenderness. Remove carrots from the pan with tongs or a skimmer. Immediately place it in an ice bath. Discard remaining water from the skillet. When completely cool, remove carrots to paper towels or a clean kitchen towel and pat dry.

Over medium heat, melt butter mixture in a small saucepan, whisking all the while to keep it from splitting. To assemble, add a dollop of the Greek yoghurt to your platter and adorn with the boiled carrots. Drizzle over the melted butter and finish with some thyme leaves.

Serves 10 – By Yakof Debono

CHOCOLATE + RED WINE CAKE With Baileys Frosting

Ingredients: • 200g unsalted butter, room temperature •150g dark chocolate, broken into pieces; • 250g soft dark brown sugar • 4 eggs, lightly beaten • 25g cocoa powder; • 1 tsp baking powder • 250g plain flour • Pinch of fine sea salt • 100ml red wine; • Zest of 1 orange.

Ingredients for the frosting/topping: • 520g icing sugar • 230g butter, at room temperature • 2 tsp Baileys • Fresh cranberries • Dried rose petals

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 170° fan or Gas Mark 4. Butter a 23cm cake tin and line the base with baking paper. Put the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, ensuring that the base of the bowl is not touching the water. Melt the chocolate, stirring a little to help it along. Remove the bowl and leave to cool.

Cream the butter and sugar with an electric beater until lighter in colour and fluffy. Add the eggs gradually, beating well after each addition.

In a bowl, sift the cocoa, flour, baking powder and salt, then fold this into the creamed batter. Stir in the wine & the zest, then the melted chocolate. Scrape into the prepared tin and bake for 40 min. Allow the cake to cool in the tin, then turn it out on to a wire rack to cool. For the frosting, add the butter and Baileys to a bowl of a food mixer. Mix until the butter and Baileys are completely mixed. Add the powdered sugar and beat on low until well incorporated. Move mixer up to medium-high speed, scraping sides and bottom of bowl often. If it is dry, add more Baileys and adjust accordingly. Frost the cooled cake with this mixture. Arrange the cranberries on top and scatter the dried rose petals.