Served interviews chef and restauranteur Michael Diacono to discuss local recipes, Maltese cuisine, sustainability, and food stories of his past. View the full video below!
Entering Chef Michael Diacono’s kitchen brought on all the sensory triggers of Christmas morning. The timpana lay out on the counter, the smell of baked pastry and bolognese wafted through the air, as the Ross fil-forn heated up in the oven. We’re invited into his home and kitchen, where the chef/restauranteur creates his three favourite, traditional Maltese recipes; Torta tal-Lampuki, Ross fil-Forn and that famous Timpana that his mother Rita Diacono, has the country dreaming of as Christmas approaches.
In typical chef fashion all the ‘mise en place’ is laid out on the counter ready to go, and as we chat, Chef MD prepares the Lampuki Pie. While cooking, he talks us through his relationship with food, the importance of using local produce where possible, and highlighting the best that Malta has to offer; from olives and asparagus, to local honey and salt.
“My son returns home tomorrow and he requested that”, Chef MD warns us as we practically drool over the Timpana. It sums up the significance of the dish for us Maltese quite perfectly… the sort of comfort meal every Maltese child (and adult) wishes to come home to!
Click here for the recipes for Torta Tal-Lampuki, the famous Timpana, Ross fil-Forn.
