Bragioli (Beef Olives)

Bragioli, written braġioli in Maltese, are what English cooks call beef olives. The name does not mean that olives must be an ingredient; recipes vary. Thin slices of beef are beaten flat, spread with a savoury stuffing, rolled up, tied or pinned, browned and then braised slowly in a sauce until the meat is soft. Visit Malta lists bragioli (beef olives) among the traditional dishes to look out for, and Visit Gozo calls them a cherished speciality.

The stuffing is where families differ. A typical one combines breadcrumbs, egg, herbs such as parsley and garlic, and sometimes bacon or ham, with the braising sauce based on onion and wine or tomato. Like many Maltese meat dishes, bragioli are home cooking first, made for a Sunday lunch or a family occasion, served with potatoes, peas, bread or pasta.

Where to try it

• At traditional Maltese restaurants in Valletta and Mdina and Rabat that cook home-style dishes.
• In Gozo, where slow-cooked beef dishes are part of the local repertoire.
• Ask about bragioli when checking a traditional restaurant menu.

Bragioli are a good pick if rabbit is not for you but you want a dish Maltese families actually cook at home. They are hearty rather than spicy. Ask whether the kitchen serves the sauce on pasta first; some do it the way a rabbit stew is served, as two courses from one pot.