Lent Deprivations And Good Friday Delicacies: 5 Maltese Traditional Seasonal Recipes To Make Fasting Enjoyable
Lent is meant to be a period of fasting but it is also a way to break your usual eating habits and appreciate the bounty of Spring while cutting down on meat.
In the Roman Catholic religion, Lent is meant to simulate Christ’s 40 days in the desert and purify the soul.
As the period of Lent is almost over, these days many are hardly aware that it even started, although in the past it was a very different story.
This deprivation of favoured proteins such as meat led to an increased creativity in preparing delicious vegetables abundant during late winter and early spring such as artichokes, broad beans, fresh peas, cauliflower, spinach and potato.
Proteins such as fresh fish and octopus, and salted anchovies, cod and tuna shift the gear of your diet. Snails are considered to not break the fast so a snail stew- Stuffat tal-Bebbux might be on the menu too.
Artichokes are in their prime in this period and are either stuffed or the hearts turned into a hearty stew with broad beans, peas and spring onion and garlic.
Let’s have a closer look at some of these dishes:
1. Qaqoċċ Mimli – Stuffed Artichokes
Artichokes are one of those strange fruits that seem intimidating as you don’t know where to start with them. However, with a bit of guidance, they can be transformed into a delicious spring centrepiece dish
2. Kusksu
Kusksu is an old traditional dish probably dating back to the days of Arab conquest. It looks similar to couscous but is made with small pasta beads cooked gently with broad beans and peas and often finished with a poached egg and sheep cheeslets – the famous ġbejna.
3. Stuffat tal-Qarnit – Octopus Stew
Octopus is another tasty and nutritious food that many might find off-putting and intimidating but, well, it is one of my favourite foods, what can I say?
4. Stuffat Tal- Bebbux – Snail Stew
For some strange reason, snails are not considered meat for fasting purposes. This makes it a popular contender for these fasting feasts.
Either boiled with Arjoli– a bread and garlic dip, or stewed in wine or beer, or even a curry, the result can be very satisfying if properly made. As the weather is still a bit nippy, stews are still favourites so you can dip a hunk of ftira to kill those fasting pangs.
5. Sfineċ – Anchovy or Cod Fritters
Sfineċ are fritters made with salt fish such as anchovy or cod, embedded in dough and deep-fried. They used to be commonly sold as street food but are rarer to find these days.
Sometimes, if you ever see a van selling Bigilla, another traditional bean dip often sold in the streets in a van with a very loud loud-speaker, they might have some for sale. If you want to try to make them without hassling to make the pastry, you can use dough from your local bakery.
There are lots more recipes that make these fasting days some of the best times to sample innovative Maltese cuisine, and this is only the tip of the iceberg.
What are you eating on Good Friday?
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