Vitello Tonnato (Tuna Veal)

This is a traditional Italian dish that I can never seem to find out of Europe. I think it is because Veal is hard to come by in the USA.

Ingredients
2 kg of veal in one piece- i find that the fillet would be the best but choose a tender cut
1,5 l of white wine
1 onion
2 cloves of garlic
2 celery sticks
2 carrots
1-2 leaves of thyme
Salt and Pepper





TUNA SAUCE:
1 7-oz. can imported tuna, packed in olive oil
5 flat anchovy filets
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed
3 tbsp. capers, soaked and rinsed
1 1⁄4 cups mayonnaise


Method

Tidy up the veal and remove any fat.
Fill a pot with wine and water, enough to cover the meat
Add the onion, chopped up, the carrots, grates, the garlic, the celery and the thyme.
Bring to the boil, then add the veal, season and bring to the boil.
Simmer for 1 1/2 hrs.
Take off the fire.
Let the veal cool in the pot and broth for about 2-3hrs

While the meat is cooling, drain tuna and put into a food processor with anchovies, olive oil, lemon juice, and capers.
Process until it becomes a creamy, beige-colored sauce.
Fold sauce gently, but thoroughly, into mayonnaise.
Keep the sauce in the fridge until ready to serve.
When the meat has cooled down, cut in very very thin slices - as thin as possible - this is the key.
Arrange on a serving dish and cover with the sauce. Add some capers on top for decoration

Super Easy Crab Cakes

Similar to my tuna cake recipe, this is a fast way to make Crab cakes. You can serve with a salad, baked potato or any other side dish you prefer.

Thanks to Lisa in Bournemouth for this recipe!

Serves 2

Ingredients

1 slice of bread - about a day old is the best.

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 large egg, beaten

1/2teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 pound cooked white crab meat, flaked

Butter and oil for frying

Lemon or lime wedges

Method

Put bread in a food processor and pulse to make breadcrumbs.

Put into a bowl and mix with the chopped parsley.

In another bowl, mix the Worcestershire sauce and egg.

Add the crab meat, lemon juice and about 6tbsp of the crumb mix to the egg mix.

Season with salt and pepper and combine well but don’t mush up the crab meat too much!

Put the rest of the crumbs into a saucer.

Divide the mixture into 4 portions; flatten gently into thick patties.

Coat each patty lightly with the remaining crumbs.

Refrigerate for 30 minutes before sautéing.

Heat butter and a little oil, enough to generously cover the bottom, in the frying pan.

(You can also bake them or gill them if you don't like the idea of frying)

Add the crab patties, in batches if necessary, and fry until golden brown on both sides, about 1-2 minutes per side.

Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.

Serve with the lemon or lime wedges for squeezing.

Tuna Stuffed Tomatoes

This recipe is for 4 - you can adjust as necessary. Great in summer when tomatoes are abundant. I have come across several recipes that feature cooked stuffed tomatoes but I prefer this type - they are fresh, tasty and nearly everybody likes them!

Ingredients:

4 large tomatoes

1 can tuna

2 spring onions, chopped

2 cloves garlic, crushed

3 tbs mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

Fresh basil, chopped

2 tsp chopped olives

1 tsp capers

1 tsp fresh parsley leaves, chopped

Method:

Cut the tops off the tomatoes, and scrape out the inside but leaving about 1/4" flesh inside.

Mix the remaining ingredients and fill the tomatoes with the mixture.

ready!!!

Pumpkin pie - not the usual type!

Pumpkin pie is a standard traditional dish in the north of Malta but unlike the pies that are so popular in America, these are not a dessert, but the main meal. It is made using fresh pumpkin (NOT canned) which is abundant in Malta (hmmm and we don't even celebrate Halloween there!)
This recipe is not my own, it was sent to me by my cousin so if the author is out there please let me know so I can give you credit!!!

I made this yesterday and it is yummy!!!

Ingredients:
For the filling:
one onion (peeled and finely chopped),
three cloves of garlic (crushed and chopped),
extra virgin olive oil,
400g of pumpkin (peeled, de-seeded and diced),
100g of olives,(pitted)
two tablespoonfuls of capers (some people use sultanas instead),
two tablespoonfuls of Italian marjoram
one tablespoonful of fresh mint (chopped),
two x 170g cans of tuna in oil,
three or four anchovy fillets,
250g of long-grain rice.

For the pastry:
450g of plain flour,
a generous pinch of salt,
150ml of extra virgin olive oil,
one large egg and enough white wine to make 150ml of liquid.

To make the filling:
Boil the rice in abundant salted water for about half the time stipulated on the packet, then drain it immediately and leave it to cool.
Fry the onions and garlic until they are soft and golden, add the pumpkin and carry on cooking. Stir in the olives and capers (or sultanas) and fry until everything is soft.
Add a little white wine if the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan.
When it is cooked, put in the tuna, anchovies, herbs and cooked rice.
Stir the mixture and season it with salt and pepper.
Leave it to cool.

To make the pastry:
Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl, stir in the olive oil and rub it into the flour.
Add the egg-and-white-wine mixture and continue to stir until you have pastry.
You may find that you need to add a little more liquid.
Flatten out the pastry with your knuckles and fold it in half, repeating this action four or five times until it is smooth.
Now divide it in two, one piece a little smaller than the other.
Roll out the larger piece and use it to line a 24cm-diameter shallow pie-dish. Fill the lined dish with the pumpkin mixture and press it down lightly.
Moisten the outside edges of the pastry with a little water.
Roll out the other piece of pastry and use it to make a lid for the pie.
Using the prongs of a fork, press down onto the moistened edges of the pastry.
Prick the lid all over and use any left-over scraps of pastry to decorate it.
Brush the pastry lid with egg or milk to glaze it, and bake the pie for around 45 minutes at 190C or until it is golden and cooked.

Baked Tuna - Maltese Style

Fish and seafood play a key role in the regular meals of the island of Malta. Until recently, fish was eaten on Fridays in observance of the catholic tradition of "no meat on a Friday".

This recipe, although called Baked Tuna is actually more of a briased dish as the liquid let out by the tomatoes lets the fish remain very moist.

This is a very different way of cooking tuna compared to the quick, high heat, "seared on the outside, rare on the inside" style. It is also almost impossible to botch it up as I have tried frozen tuna (not even bothering to defrost the steaks) and as long as you check that the water has not been completely absorbed you will be fine!

I would serve this with a salad and lots of crispy bread..ah yes..and a glass of vino!

Ingredients
About 2 lbs of tuna as steaks about half an inch thick ( 4 steaks aprox)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 chopped onions
1 lb potatoes coarsely sliced
1 lb tomatoes, halved
4 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup white wine
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Sea salt to taste (the coarse type) and freshly ground black pepper

Method
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Brush the sides and bottom of a baking dish with some of the olive oil
Spread the onions on the bottom of the baking dish.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cover onions with the sliced potatoes
Put the tuna steaks on top, then cover with the tomato halves, cut side down.
Add the garlic cloves, then pour in the water.
Pour the remaining olive oil and wine over the tomatoes, then sprinkle the mint and parsley over the entire top.
Season with salt and pepper.
Cover the baking dish with foil
Bake until the potatoes are fork tender (usually around 45-60 minutes). Let rest for 10 minutes, serve hot.