Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/513060
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 17 MAY 2015 34 Food Rachel Agius takes a look at a restaurant and brings a recipe, wine and delicacy of the week. Write to us with your comments on restaurants or submit your own recipes to rzammitcutajar@mediatoday.com.mt Resto of the week The very best of the Mediterranean This is the product of an extremely exciting new venture that unites three branches of the Rothschild winemaking dynasty; the family behind Chateaux Lafite-Rothschild and Mouton-Rothschild in Pauillac and Chateau Clarke in nearby Listrac. Linked by family ties and a shared passion for wine, these three branches of the family have come together to create a new Champagne. The Rothschilds have teamed up with some of the best Champagne growers with vineyards on the finest terroir to ensure the quality lives up to the Rothschild name. Made predominantly from Chardonnay sourced from Grand Cru vineyards in the Côte de Blancs, with smaller portions of Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier, it's a powerful yet restrained cuvée. Only the 'tête de cuvée' – the best juice from the first pressing of the grapes - is used, (the 2nd and 3rd pressings are sold off to other Champagne producers) making it more akin to a prestige cuvée in style. 40% of the blend is composed of reserve wines – older wines used to give amazing richness, depth and complexity. Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 Champagne Barons de Rothschild Brut (In a Single Gift Box) NV La Barca Summer is in the air and what better way to enjoy the best this season has to offer than overlooking Malta's prettiest beach, Ghadira Bay. The Tunny Net complex offers a variety of restaurants including Maya Beach, the hot and spicy MexiCo, Mexican Bar and Diner and La Barca, a fabulous outlet offering the best fresh fish caught from the seas just a stone's throw from your table. A day on the beach is hungry business, the sea and the sand opening up your appetite, and satisfying that hunger with fresh local fish is the perfect ending to a fantastic summery day out. La Barca is the most beautiful at sunset so be sure to book an early table, and if you're not used to dining early, have an aperitivo and enjoy the warmth of the remaining rays of the sun and the spec- tacular view of the beach transforming from a hub of activity as parents try and clean as much sand off their children as they can to get them ready to go home, to a tranquil setting where the only remain- ing sound is that of the sea gently lapping the sand. Sitting in this idyllic setting brings back holiday memories and instantly trans- ports the diner to a place where problems seem miles away. Try the delicate starters of funghi tri- folati, marinated mushrooms served with garlic, cherry tomatoes and cream or the calamari fritti, fried squid served gar- nished with fresh green leaves and mild lemon sauce. When deciding on what to feast on, there is a beautiful display of the catch of fresh fish that varies according to what the fishermen have hauled in that day. What- ever your choice, you can be sure that the fish is just out of the water. Of course there is also a standard menu with some of their most popular dishes. Fresh fish, shellfish, calamari and prawns are included in the menu, cooked in a variety of ways to bring out subtle flavours yet in no way overpowering the delicate fish. White fish, cooked al catoccio with white wine, garlic and tomatoes consti- tutes a fabulous fresh and healthy meal. For more explosive flavours try the salmon in dill and horseradish sauce for a creamy, melt-in-your-mouth experience that will leave you wanting more. The wine list is extensive with crisp whites from around the world. Try the South African Sauvignon Blanc, light in body and its crisp nature complements the delicious seafood served at La Barca. Though La Barca is all about the sea, the menu is by no means limited to seafood alone. There are plenty of dishes that will suit the meat eater – fresh rib-eye, beef fillet with a brandy and mushroom sauce, rabbit cooked in garlic and white wine, duck breasts served with honey, grapes, nuts and orange zest or chicken and lobster served with cream in a filo pastry basket. Though it may seem impossible, leave some room for dessert. The chilled cassata siciliana is well worth the final push, a de- licious cake, moistened with liqueur and layered with ricotta, candied peel and a chocolate filling similar to cannoli cream. On leaving the restaurant you will be stuffed to the brim, but what better way to aid digestion that a walk along the beachfront, inhaling that salty sea air to help your food digest and bring on a well deserved sleep after a long day enjoying the very best of the Mediterranean. While dining at any of the Tunny Net Resort restaurants patrons can take advantage of the Seabank Hotel under- ground car park, out of the blistering sun, for a nominal fee of €1 for a three hour window. La Barca is open daily for lunch between 12:00 and 15:00 and for dinner between 17:00 and 22:00. La Barca Tunny Net Complex Marfa Road, Mellieha Tel: 2152133 / 21523254 / 794693462 Web: www.tunnynet.com Choose from a selection of mouth-watering fish dishes from the waters just a stone's throw from your table Enjoy the setting sun and the views of Malta's prettiest beach while dining on a feast of the freshest fish the Mediterranean has to offer PHOTOGRAPHY BY RAY ATTARD