Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/963162
34 maltatoday SUNDAY 8 APRIL 2018 This Week THE RECIPES Boasting 27 years' experience, Chef Clifton Grech has been a prominent figure on the ever so competitive Maltese culinary scene. Following on his late father's footsteps Chef Clifton knew he was destined for a career in cooking and after graduating in 1995 he worked his way up through the ranks of various restaurants before moving to the then newly-opened Westin Dragonara Resort where he spent four years on the job. In 2003 he moved to the Fortina Spa Resort and soon took over as Executive Chef leading his brigade in producing high quality food in all of their six restaurants for 13 years. Chef Clifton is also experienced in high-end banqueting functions, catering for the Heads of the Commonwealth of Nations at CHOGM and for the Heads of State at the recent EU Summit. Most recently Chef Clifton was privileged to have cooked for Prince Charles when he was visiting Malta during the Our Oceans conference last year. Patron Chef Clifton now takes the helm at the recently opened, 'The Village Kitchen', in Naxxar which offers its customers a mix of unique and trendy Mediterranean cuisine using the best local and fresh ingredients. Method 1. Heat up a large pan of salted water for boiling pasta. Start to make the sauce start by gently disolv- ing Nduja in a frying pan. When softened, add minced garlic & cook, add chick peas for 1 min, add tomato sauce, simmer for 2 mins to infuse taste & set aside. In the meantime boil pasta al dente, strain & add with the prepared base. 2 Tear the basil leaves & toss gradually, adding olive oil. 3. Carefully place in a pasta bowl & top up with dressed rocket & crumbled ricotta Garganelle Nduja Clifton Grech Ingredients Short egg pasta eg: Garganelle 400g Nduja 100g Garlic minced 20g Crushed chick pea 80 Chopped tomato 200g Basil 10g Olive oil 20ml Fresh ricotta 80g Wild rocket 20g The Village Kitchen Made from a strict selection of grapes – exclusively of the Primitivo variety – grown on a terrain of reddish ochre earth mixed with slabs of limestone that have been crushed (according to the unique technique known as spietramento), and following 12 months' maturation in 65-hectolitre casks of precious Slavonian oak as well as appropriate bottle-ageing, this cru maintains the rigour of its indigenous cultivar whilst opening itself up to international taste. Indeed, the name Sasseo ("stony") chosen for this Primitivo is intended to recall the uniqueness, sunniness and strength of the terroir that one finds in the glass. Bouquet: This wine offers the nose full and intense aromas with hints of plums, jams of red fruits and sweet accents of spices. Palate: A wine of a good body, it has a mouth-filling flavour that is warm and soft and expresses a highly mature fruitiness, supported by a pleasant complex of sweet tannins. Food Affinities: Bean and chicory soup, red meats roasted over the coals and roast lamb. Exclusively imported by Charles Grech & Co. Ltd, Valley Road, Birkirkara T: 2144 4400 Sasseo Masseria Altemura, Sasseo Primitivo, Salento IGT , Italy