According to Claudio Camilleri, chef of the Palazzo Rosa, cuisine is a constant struggle in Malta. The English influence not being all good, Maltese gastronomic traditions have slowly deteriorated over the decades. Just imagine: on the island of Malta, at the heart of the Mediterranean, between Sicily and the Maghreb, margarine has gradually replaced olive oil! A scandal that never ceases to make Claudio Camilleri’s blood boil.
His menu therefore resembles a politico-gastronomic programme or even a satirical tract. One of his dishes – or perhaps we should say “non-dishes”, Lewis Carroll style – is thus called “What? No chicken?” (€0). Yes that’s right – there’s no chicken on the menu at the Palazzo Santa Rosa. There are at least two reasons for this: first, Claudio Camilleri has not found any fowl in Malta that satisfy his quality criteria; secondly, he has purchased some land in order to keep some himself, a well-situated plot over which a political figure is illegally wrangling with him. Yes, indeed – that’s how it goes sometimes in Malta.
© Palazzo Santa RosaAnother vein, with a sometimes polemic flavour, runs through the menu, namely the highlighting – with a touch of boastfulness – of the top-quality products that Claudio Camilleri uses, from oscietra caviar to Valrohna chocolate via vanilla from Madagascar and Vialone Nano rice. The chef is simply doing his best to instil in his Maltese clients the cult of the good product which makes the difference. Some consider them too expensive. However, Claudio Camilleri has set himself a simple goal: to reach the level of a Michelin-star-rated establishment.
As for the rest, what is dished up at the Palazzo Santa Rosa? An extremely refined Italo-Maltese cuisine based on fresh products, sometimes grown on the spot like the vegetables, or directly and specially imported by the restaurant. “My job is to explore the roots and ancestral memory of Maltese cuisine,” confides this chef, who names his cats after his favourite champagnes.
Maltese classics – such as rabbit – are reinterpreted with renewed force, with homemade gravies and sauces simmering for several days; pasta, shaped by hand, takes the lion’s share; the tortellini is stuffed with organic beef; wild herbs are gathered on the surrounding hills. Piedmontese bagna cauda, three-year-old parmesan, squid and artichokes, rocket, pine nuts, fresh garlic, risotto with garden vegetables, fresh fish of the day caught by a diver: such is life at the Palazzo Santa Rosa.
Obviously very fond of sweet things, Claudio Camilleri has taken particular care with his desserts which, from the panna cota to the cassata siciliana via the chocolate fondant, are really worth the trip. As for the lemon tart, it is made with Maltese lemons – the best in the world, according to the experts.
