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Lampuki Pie: Traditional Maltese Fish Pie Recipe
Traditional Maltese Lampuki Pie
Lampuki Pie is one of Malta’s most iconic traditional dishes, combining flaky pastry with Mediterranean fish, spinach, olives, capers, and tomato-rich filling.
Made with lampuki — known internationally as mahi-mahi or dolphinfish — this savory pie reflects the strong connection between Maltese cuisine and the sea. The filling is rich but balanced, with briny olives and capers cutting through the sweetness of onions and fish.
Served warm or cold, lampuki pie is deeply rooted in Maltese home cooking and especially popular during lampuki fishing season in late summer and autumn.
What Is It?
Lampuki Pie is a baked savory Maltese pie filled with fish, spinach, onions, olives, capers, and tomato inside shortcrust pastry.
The pie is traditionally made with fresh lampuki, a seasonal Mediterranean fish prized in Maltese cuisine for its firm texture and mild flavor.
Unlike heavier fish pies found elsewhere in Europe, Maltese lampuki pie keeps a lighter Mediterranean character through olive oil, greens, and briny ingredients.
A Little History
Lampuki fishing has been part of Maltese culture for centuries. During late summer, fishermen traditionally catch lampuki using floating palm fronds to attract schools of fish.
As lampuki became abundant seasonally, Maltese households developed many recipes to use the catch, with lampuki pie becoming one of the best known.
The pie reflects Malta’s layered culinary influences from Sicily, North Africa, and broader Mediterranean cooking traditions.
Today, it remains a staple of Maltese family kitchens and traditional restaurants.
What You NeedLampuki (mahi-mahi)
Shortcrust pastry
Fresh spinach
Onion
Garlic
Black olives
Capers
Tomato paste
Olive oil
Salt
Black pepper
Egg
The Process
The filling begins by slowly cooking onions, garlic, and spinach until soft and aromatic.
Tomato paste, olives, and capers build the distinctly Mediterranean flavor profile before fresh lampuki is gently cooked until just opaque. The filling is cooled slightly before being enclosed in pastry to prevent the crust from becoming soggy.
The pie is baked until deeply golden with crisp flaky pastry surrounding the rich fish filling.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C fan.
- Lightly grease the pie dish.
- Heat olive oil in a large frying pan.
- Sauté onion and garlic until soft and translucent.
- Add spinach and cook until wilted.
- Stir in tomato paste, olives, capers, salt, and black pepper.
- Add chopped lampuki and cook gently for 5–7 minutes until just opaque.
- Remove the filling from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
- Roll out half the pastry and line the pie dish.
- Spoon the lampuki mixture evenly into the pastry shell.
- Cover with the remaining pastry.
- Seal the edges firmly and cut a small vent in the center.
- Brush the pastry with beaten egg.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes until golden brown.
Allow the pie to rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
Serving
Lampuki pie is traditionally served warm or at room temperature.
It pairs well with fresh salads, roasted vegetables, or crusty Maltese bread.
Storing
Store refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheat gently in the oven to maintain crisp pastry.
Traditional Maltese Lampuki Pie (Torta tal-Lampuki)
Equipment
- Oven
Ingredients
- 600 g lampuki mahi-mahi, cleaned and boned
- 300 g shortcrust pastry store-bought or homemade
- 200 g fresh spinach or thawed frozen spinach
- 150 g onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 50 g black olives pitted and halved
- 20 g capers rinsed
- 50 g tomato paste
- 2 tbsp olive oil 30 g
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 egg beaten (for brushing the pastry)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180°C (fan). Grease your pie dish lightly.
- Sauté the filling: Heat olive oil in a large pan. Sauté onion and garlic until soft. Add spinach and cook until wilted.
- Stir in tomato paste, olives, capers, and seasonings. Add chopped lampuki and cook gently for 5–7 minutes until just opaque. Remove from heat and let cool.
- Roll out half the pastry and line the base of the pie dish.
- Fill the pie with the lampuki mixture, then cover with the top layer of pastry. Seal the edges and cut a small vent in the center.
- Brush the top with beaten egg.
- Bake for 40–45 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and cooked through.
- Let rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
Nutrition
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