“This is one of my interpretations to best represent Malta’s produce through Asian culinaria.”
The way Steve Scicluna sees food is unique. He understands what he wants, he executes and he studies. But the greatest fact about Chef Scicluna is his ability to listen and react.
Chef Scicluna’s manipulation of ingredients is generally simple but impactful — often with an exceedingly surprising factor. Risette’s Catalogue Entry No. 1; local red prawn with grapefruit, elderflower and jalapeño; is an example of this.
The Story
This dish was created by Chef Steve Scicluna in 2025, with his hometown Marsaxlokk and the local sea as his inspiration.
Keeping true to the Chef Scicluna principles; this dish is a blend of local sourcing and curated imports to achieve a balance of seasonality, sustainability, technique and flavour.
This course comes in two parts, where the initial dish represents simplicity, flavour and prized local produce; while the second dish celebrates fusion, technique and playfulness. While each dish can easily stand alone; the course in its entirety captivates the senses with deep emotion.
Part one of this dish is composed of tartare red local prawn, green apple, elderflower and jalapeño dressing and grapefruit foam for height, drama, texture and acidity. Part two is an Asian glazed chicken wing stuffed with koshihikari rice, nduja and Maltese sausage seasoning.
Chef Steve Scicluna’s 1st entry into The bajtra Catalogue is local red prawn, grapefruit, elderflower and jalapeño.
Tasting Notes
The reason this dish plays a vital role in the Cataloguing of Chef Steve Scicluna is the major contrast of styles and approaches adopted. Juxtaposition makes the senses experience surprise, and surprise causes the brain to perceive with heightened attention. Here the juxtaposition is between the local rossi (Maltese red prawns) and the humble chicken wing, also local.
Maltese red prawns are known for their buttery, saline and mineral qualities, iconically stamping them the jewel of the sea in Malta’s produce. The sensation of a local prawn dissolving with every swirl in your mouth is incomparable; from the salinity that first hits your lips to the buttery texture, ending on the sweet mineral finish. This prawn is diced and lightly dressed in olive oil to withhold its generous simplicity.
A simply executed dressing presents bold flavours of tart green apple, floral elderflower notes and a light kick from the jalapeño; all of which are extracted to serve as a pool of flavour for the rossi. Atop the prawn tartare; an airy, slightly bitter, sweet and playful grapefruit foam.
The chicken wing is staggered in service. Allowing guests to enjoy their last spoonful of tart, spice, butter and acidity–only leaving them to crave sweetness, texture and bite. The exact pleasures presented with the glazed fried wing. The Asian glaze made with honey, butter and aromatics is yeasty, both in flavour and aroma while the stuffing is earthy, rich and texturally interesting. The blend of Asian spices and Maltese Sausage seasoning marries cuisines in common aromatics like coriander, black pepper and garlic.
The stickiness of the glaze, and the fact that eating with your hands is encouraged is nostalgically moving.
