Maltese baked potatoes in olive oil, fennel seeds and roasted olives

This rustic, comforting dish is infused with olive oil, fennel seeds, capers and olives, capturing the island’s bold Mediterranean flavours. Hearty yet simple, it’s a perfect side or main.

Credit: Josh Martin

• serves

  4-6

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  1 hour

• difficulty

  Easy

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Shane Delia's Malta

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Ingredients

• 10 g fennel seeds 
• 250 g onions, finely sliced 
• 25 g fresh garlic, finely sliced on a mandolin
• 1.4 kg potatoes, thinly sliced on a mandolin
• 100 ml olive oil, plus extra, for drizzling
• 25 g salt
• 50 ml oil mixed with 100 ml water

Topping

• Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
• 180 g pipped green olives 
• 100 g capers
• 5 g cracked black pepper 
• Sprinkle of toasted fennel seeds 

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180˚C.
2. Roast fennel seeds in a frying pan over a medium heat. As soon as they open, remove them from heat and transfer them to a small bowl to prevent them cooking further.
3. In a heavy-based pan (cast iron or Le Creuset), start the layering process. Start with a portion of onions on the bottom, then lay over some of the garlic slices followed by some of the potato in an even, flat layer.
4. Drizzle potato layer with olive oil and a sprinkle of the toasted fennel seeds and start layering again, making sure the onions are completely covered by the potato layers.
5. To finish, pour oil and water mix over the top of the final layer of potatoes, drizzle extra olive oil over top and add a sprinkle of salt. Cover with the lid or foil, then bake for 25 minutes at 180˚C.
6. At the 30-minute mark take out the dish and remove the lid or foil. Turn the oven up to 215˚C.
7. Season the top of the potatoes with olive oil, fresh pitted green olives, capers, cracked pepper and some fennel seeds. Place back in the oven to continue roasting without the cover until brown and crispy.

Watch how to make this recipe on Episode 4 of Shane Delia’s Malta, streaming free on SBS On Demand.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Shane Delia's Malta

series • 

Travel

PG

series • 

Travel

PG