Lampuki, also known as mahi mahi or dorado elsewhere, follows the same migration route past Malta every year, and local fishermen still use kannizzati, rafts made from palm fronds, to draw the fish into the shade before netting them. It’s one of the few traditions here that’s barely changed in centuries.

The fish turns up on plates in two main ways. Whole and pan-fried is the simplest, usually with tomatoes, capers and olives, and it’s hard to go wrong with that combination. The other classic is torta tal-lampuki, a pie built with spinach, cauliflower, walnuts and sometimes raisins, wrapped in pastry. It sounds like an odd mix on paper but it works, and it’s one of those dishes that only really turns up properly when the fish is in season.

Marsaxlokk is the obvious place to start, particularly on a Sunday when the fish market is running along the harbour. Skip buying it raw unless you’re cooking that night, and instead sit down at one of the waterfront places. Tartarun is the one locals and visitors both rate specifically for its whole lampuki, done simply and well. Skuna, along the harbour, does a good version too alongside its usual mixed fish plates, and it’s the more relaxed option of the two.

In Valletta, Café Jubilee does a reliably good torta tal-lampuki, and they’ve got branches on both Malta and Gozo, so there’s no excuse not to try it wherever you’re staying.

King’s Own Band Club on Republic Street is another one worth knowing, a renowned Valletta institution that puts lampuki on the menu when it’s in season, alongside the usual mix of seasonal fish and seafood.

For the whole fish done well, Legligin on St Lucia Street serves it in season alongside their usual spread of bragioli and local cheeses, in a pretty vaulted old wine bar setting.