Rabbit meat was relatively affordable during the Middle Ages and was considered the ‘beef of the ‘lower classes’. Wild rabbits were brought to Malta by the Phoenicians, who introduced them as a food source. In fact, both rabbits and hares were hunted in large quantities until prohibited by the Knights of St John to safeguard Malta’s meagre resources. Today it is a rabbit recipe that claims the title of ‘national dish’.
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A fenkata would typically consist of two courses – the first dish would be a huge bowl of spaghetti tossed in a rabbit ragu, wine and herbs. The second dish would be the actual rabbit meat cooked in a similar sauce, served with peas and fries. Make sure you allow time to marinate the rabbit overnight. Serves 4-6

Stuffat tal-fenek

INGREDIENTS:    ​

• 2 rabbits cleaned and portioned (the butcher should be able to do this for you)
• ¾ bottle of full-bodied red wine
• 350ml of water (approx. 2 wine glasses of water)
• 2 finely chopped onions
• 4 garlic cloves (peeled and crushed)
• 8-10 bay leaves, plus
• 1 x 400g /14 oz can tomato pulp (polpa) or mashed plum tomatoes
• 3 tbsps. tomato puree
• 2 carrots (peeled and sliced)
• 6-8 medium potatoes (peeled and roughly chopped)
• Salt & pepper
• 3 tbsps. extra virgin olive oil
• Marinade (must be prepare the night before)
• Mix the wine, ¾ of the garlic and 6 bay leaves in a large bowl to make the marinade.
• Place the rabbit pieces into the marinade, cover and refrigerate overnight.

​METHOD:

1. The next day, remove the rabbit pieces from the marinade, gently shake off the excess liquid back into the bowl and reserve.
2. Heat the olive oil in a heavy based saucepan on high heat and sear the rabbit joints on all sides until lightly browned (approx. 4 minutes on each side). Remove the rabbit pieces from the pan and set them aside.
3. Lower the heat and add remaining bay leaves and onions into the pan. Simmer the onions under low heat until they are browned (approx. 5 minutes). Add the remaining garlic and continue to stir gently for another minute.
4. Add the tomato pulp or the mashed plum tomatoes to the pan and increase the heat slightly. Cook for approximately 5 minutes.
5. Add the marinade and increase the heat to bring the sauce to a boil.
6. Add the rabbit joints to the pan and mix them into the sauce, topping up the pan with water until all the rabbit pieces are covered.
7. Cover the pan with a lid until it comes to boil, then reduce heat to a medium simmer for half an hour.
8. Add the sliced carrots, diced potatoes and tomato puree. Make sure all the vegetables are covered with liquid and continue to simmer the stew for another half hour.