Discover the origins of traditional Maltese pumpkin pie (and the tastiest recipe to try)
A Maltese beauty that needs to be rediscovered...
Much like all the traditional delicacies we have in our country’s cuisine, the traditional pumpkin pie is a mystery which we need to unveil. With the many rulers of our islands came different traditions in costume, language, practices, and of course, culinary additions.
It’s thought that the traditional pumpkin pie - with rice, tuna, pumpkin and all the fixings - came about during the reign of the Knights of Malta, but there’s also an element of the Middle East in the mix. Also, Cypriots claim to have a similar dish called kolokotes which are traditionally made with pumpkin too.
A deep dive into this dish’s roots deserves to be examined, but today, let’s dive into the recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, crushed and minced
- 1kg of orange pumpkin, peeled and diced
- 330g long grain rice, cooked for 10 minutes
- 2 cups homemade vegetable stock
- 3 small tins of tuna in olive oil
- 3 anchovy fillets
- 10 green local olives, pitted and chopped
- 2 tbsp capers
- 4 tbsp kunserva
- a pinch of salt and pepper
- a handful of fresh basil, parsley and mint, roughly chopped
- A tsp of fresh chill
- a drizzle of local EVOO depending on consistency
Method
- Add a drizzle of oil to a heated sauté pan, lightly brown the onion and garlic and add the fresh chilli to release the flavours - season with salt and pepper and add the pumpkin cubes, cook until they’re golden brown.
- Drain the tuna - save the oil - and mix it into the pumpkin pan with kunserva added too. Clear off an area on the pan and add your anchovies and capers - let their umami flavours dissolve and incorporate with the rest of the food.
- Add your cooked rice to the pan, mix in your herbs and season one last time - allow to cool.
For best results, always make your own pastry; this isn’t an impossible task. It takes some time but it’s a game changer. A basic shortcrust pastry simply requires 225g of sifted flour, 100g of cold butter and a pinch of salt. Remember to mix your flour and fat until you get a breadcrumb like consistency, add salt at this stage and then knead until a smooth dough is formed. Cover in wax wrapping and store in the fridge.
For gluten free recipes, simply replace with an all-purpose gluten free flour and add 2 tbsp xanthan gum, together with milk, if your dough seems too loose. For vegan recipes, olive oil makes for a great pastry fat, simply exchange the butter for 85ml EVOO and work the flour as normal. Resting time may vary.
Once your mixture cools and your crust settles, line your dish with your preferred fat, roll out your dough, place it in the dish, add your filling, and place another sheet of fresh dough over it, poking some air vents in the pastry and trimming the edges.
Bake at 180/200°C for about 20 minutes or until the top is golden brown.
Top tip: bake in a Pyrex dish so you can keep your eye on the base. When you gain confidence in your baking skills, switch to enamel - the difference is impressive!
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