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Maltese · Mediterranean

Ftira biż-żejt

Non-vegetarian

Maltese ring-shaped sourdough bread rubbed with tomato paste and olive oil and piled with tuna, capers, olives, onion and fresh tomato. Malta's favourite beach lunch.

Ftira biż-żejt is a Maltese sandwich from Malta, ready in about 10 minutes and made with crusty bread / baguette, tomato paste and canned tuna. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

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Maltese ftira bread sandwich filled with tuna, tomato and olive oil
Photo: Kritzolina / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
10 min
Cook
0 min
Total
10 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
372

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Split the bread and rub the cut sides generously with tomato paste (opens in a new tab), then drizzle with olive oil (opens in a new tab).

  2. Step 2

    Layer on the tomato (opens in a new tab), onion, tuna, capers (opens in a new tab) and olives (opens in a new tab), season with salt and pepper (opens in a new tab) and add a few torn mint (opens in a new tab) or basil (opens in a new tab) leaves.

    • 5 min

  3. Step 3

    Close the sandwiches and press for a few minutes so the bread soaks up the juices before eating.

    • 2 min

About this dish

Origin
Malta · Well documentedMore food from Malta
Dish
Lunch · Snack · Sandwiches
Cooking method
No-cook
Taste
savoury, tangy, fresh
Diet
Pescatarian · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsPescatarian · Non-vegetarian · Flexitarian-friendly · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · Mediterranean-style · High-protein · Calorie-conscious
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Portable / lunchbox · Everyday · Budget-friendly
Cook more with
Crusty bread / baguette · Tomato paste · Canned tuna · Tomato · Red onion · Capers

Allergens

  • Contains: Fishfrom canned tuna
  • Contains: Wheatfrom crusty bread / baguette
  • Contains: Glutenfrom crusty bread / baguette
  • May contain: Sesamefrom crusty bread / baguette
  • May contain: Mustardfrom dill pickles

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

372 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 243 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 22%
  • Carbohydrate 45%
  • Fat 33%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy372 kcal153 kcal
Protein20.6 g8.5 g
Carbohydrate43 g17.7 g
Net carbohydrate39.8 g16.4 g
Sugars7 g2.9 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre3.3 g1.3 g
Fat13.9 g5.7 g
Saturated fat——
Trans fat0 g0 g
Cholesterol22 mg9 mg
Sodium916 mg377 mg
Salt equivalent2.3 g0.9 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
476 mg
Calcium
73 mg
Iron
5.2 mg
Magnesium
51 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
47 µg
Vitamin C
12 mg
Vitamin D
0.7 µg
Vitamin B12
—
Folate (DFE)
—

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: mint, basil, dill pickles.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Food safety

  • Keep made-up sandwiches cool (a cool bag at the beach) and eat within 2–3 hours; refrigerate leftover opened tuna and use within 2 days.

Storage

  • Best eaten within a few hours.

Variations

  • Ftira Għawdxija (Malta): On Gozo, ftira is a pizza-like baked dough topped with potatoes, anchovies and tomatoes.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Sauces, chutneys & dips for this dish

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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