In Valletta, eating well is easy--there is at least one excellent family-run taverna on almost every street, from the cozy Legligin, a wine bar with a dozen small tables that serves an excellent chef's menu for a mere 30 euros, to the elegant Rubino, with its simple but delicious seasonal dishes made with local ingredients such as
lampuki, mahi-mahi that are caught from September to November.
Taste the local
lampuki, a small delicious fish that is best cooked in butter - although you can hardly go wrong with all the traditional and mouthwatering Mediterranean fare that's on offer in every restaurant and food shop.
Most restaurants serve tuna, swordfish, sea bream, lobsters, octopus and the famous "
lampuki" (dorado).
The freshest fish such as swordfish and
lampuki are a feature of the menu along with lamb, and rabbit dishes.
METRIC 1 1/2 to 2 pounds 800 g Octopus 10 ounces 300 g Snails 1 1/2 to 2 pounds 800 g Dorado (
Lampuki) 10 ounces 300 g Potato 2 tablespoons 30 mL Sour cream 1 each 1 each Red prickly pear 1 each 1 each Garlic 1 ounce 28 g Basil 1 ounce 28 g Mint 1/2 ounce 14 g Marjoram 5 ounces 150 g Tomato 3 tablespoons 45 mL Balsamic vinegar 6 3/4 tablespoons 100 mL Extra virgin olive oil 7 1/2 ounce 200 g Salad leaves 1 3/3 ounce 50 g Green olives 1 3/4 ounce 50 g Capers 1/3 ounce 10 g Pepper 1/3 ounce 10 g Salt 2 each 2 each Lemons PREPARATION STEPS: 1.
We spent a very pleasant day seeing the sights, eating Maltese specialities of
lampuki (dorado) and smoked swordfish, followed by fig ice-cream, at scenic Marsalforn bay.
Italian-style pasta is also popular alongside traditional Maltese treats like
Lampuki pie (fish) or the Turkish speciality of pastizzi (small savoury pastries) - which are served as appetisers.
MOUTHWATERING Taste the local
lampuki, a small delicious fish that is best cooked in butter - although you can hardly go wrong with all the traditional and mouthwatering Mediterranean fare that's on offer in every restaurant and food shop.