Monthly Archives: August 2020

Lampuki fried in Breadcrumbs

Fish, Maltese food, Mediterranean food, seafood, , , ,

Traditionally, lampuki are fried in flour or semolina. Today I tried using a mixture of breadcrumbs and semolina with lovely crunchy results

Lampuka mogħqlija

Basically it’s very simple. Dip lampuki fillets in a half half seasoned semolina breadcrumb mixture and shake off excess. Heat vegetable oil (about 1-2 mm) in a heavy based pan and add a large smashed clove of garlic. When the garlic starts sizzling properly add the fillets skin side down and leave for a couple of minutes until the skin develops a nice colour. It’s difficult to specify a time as it depends on the size of the fish but normally, when the skin looks nice and crunchy it will be about three quarters cooked and only needs another minute or two on the other side. This can be served with salad, caponata or a tomato caper sauce with thin round chips 😋

Of course I didn’t let the heads and bones go to waste and made a lovely Aljotta or fish soup, but that’s another story…

PS Oh dear! Had a case of late night malnutrition and put the leftover lampuki fillet on a slice of Maltese bread rubbed with ripe summer tomato, drizzled with olive oil and topped with kapunata. Mmm mind blowing 🤯

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Thai Beef Salad (Yum Nua)

beef, salads, Thai, , ,

Thai salads are delightful concoctions of freshness, bright surprising flavours and colours. Perfect for hot weather, they are often a meal in themselves

Thai Beef Salad

In this recipe I used a Polish rib-eye. Although it turned out pretty well next time I think I’ll use fillet as it is more tender and contains less fat and sinew. Flank and sirloin may also be used, use your favourite steak basically.

The secret of this salad is in the flavoursome dressing which is sweet and fragrant with a lot of bite.

Serves 2

Ingredients:

Dressing:

1 Clove Garlic crushed

2tsp Ginger grated

1 Small bunch Coriander, stalks separated and finely chopped

2 Limes juiced

1tbsp Palm Sugar (I used brown)

1tbsp Fish Sauce

2tsp Sesame Oil

1tsp Soya Sauce

1-2 Chilli Bird’s Eye sliced diagonally

Salad:

300-400g Beef Tenderloin

200g Cherry Tomato (Pachino) halved

1 Cucumber, halved and thinly sliced diagonally

1 small Onion

Handful Basil Leaves

Handful Mint Leaves

Handful Coriander Leaves, (previously seperated from stalks)

Handful Peanuts, toasted and chopped

Method:

Put the dressing ingredients in a mortar and pestle and pound, or else whisk everything in a bowl.

Season the meat and place on a very hot griddle, 3 minutes on each side. The meat should be quite rare. Leave to rest on a plate for 10 minutes covered in foil.

Place the remaining salad ingredients in a bowl. Slice the meat finely and marinate in half the dressing. The lime juice cures and tenderises the meat. Add to the salad and drizzle the remaining dressing. Toss the salad with the peanuts