Delicious! UK culinary star Nigella Lawson features Maltese ‘Imqarrun’ recipe by chef Simon Bajada
If your favourite Maltese dish is ‘Imqarrun il-forn’, often referred to as baked macaroni in English, that’s one thing you may have in common with the famed UK food writer and television cook, Nigella Lawson!
Featuring the Maltese recipe on her world-famous website and socials, Nigella commented on how ‘this dish brings [her] such joy’, thanking the Maltese-Australian chef Simon Bajada for sharing the recipe with her, through his cookbook, titled ‘Malta: Mediterranean Recipes From The Islands’.
In his book, alongside the iconic recipe itself, Simon writes ‘Imqarrun il-forn evokes memories of lunch at my grandmother’s. If this wasn’t on the table, it was often in the fridge. My cousins and I would fight each other over the irresistible crusty edges’ – is this something you’ve ever experienced while enjoying this divine dish?
As Simon writes, this dish is luckily available all over Malta and Gozo, from restaurants to small takeaway shops tucked into the busy streets of the islands. Imqarrun is similar to the Timpana but without the pastry on top, and varies from cook to cook, with some choosing to add boiled eggs, peas and even chicken liver to the mix!
Are you an Imqarrun fan like Nigella?