National Dish Malta: Stuffat Tal-Fenek (Recipe)
In this article
Stuffat tal-Fenek is rabbit stewed in red wine and tomato, and rabbit-eating in Malta is a genuine social institution. A fenkata is a rabbit dinner, often held in a village restaurant, running to several courses and a great deal of wine.
About Stuffat Tal-Fenek
Rabbit stew is Malta’s national dish. The rabbit is marinated in red wine, browned, and then simmered slowly with garlic, tomato, bay and thyme. In a full fenkata the marinated rabbit is fried first and its juices used to dress spaghetti as a first course, with the stew following.
Eating rabbit had political meaning under the Knights of St John, who restricted hunting; the fenkata is sometimes read as an act of quiet defiance.
Ingredients (serves 1–2)
- 500g rabbit meat, cut into pieces
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, chopped
- 2 carrots, sliced
- 2 potatoes, diced
- 1 tin of chopped tomatoes (400g)
- 1 glass of red wine (optional)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon tomato purée
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon thyme
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Water or chicken stock, as needed
Shopping for the ingredients
Ask the butcher to joint the rabbit into six or eight pieces including the saddle. A whole rabbit is better value than portions. Use a robust red wine, and a great deal of garlic: Maltese versions use whole cloves by the handful.
Preparing the dish
Marinate the rabbit in red wine, garlic and bay overnight if possible. Pat it dry before browning, or it will not colour. Rabbit is lean and dries out, so keep the simmer gentle and stop when the meat is tender rather than falling off the bone.
Step-by-step instructions
- Heat the olive oil in a large pot and brown the rabbit pieces until golden. Remove and set aside.
- Sauté the onions and garlic in the same pot until softened.
- Add the carrots and potatoes and fry briefly with the onions.
- Return the rabbit to the pot, stir in the tomato purée and chopped tomatoes and combine well.
- Deglaze with red wine (optional). Add the bay leaves, thyme, salt and pepper, and stir thoroughly.
- Pour in water or chicken stock until the meat is almost covered. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat.
- Simmer gently for 1–1½ hours until the meat is tender.
Gluten-free / lactose-free version
The stew contains no gluten and no dairy. Only the bread or pasta served alongside needs attention.
Tips for vegans and vegetarians
Rabbit is the dish. Soppa tal-armla, the widow’s soup, is the Maltese vegetable dish worth knowing, and ross il-forn can be made without meat.
More tips and tricks
Marinate overnight in wine and garlic. Brown the rabbit properly in batches rather than crowding the pot. And do not overcook it: rabbit goes from tender to dry quickly, and ninety minutes is usually the outside limit.
Adapting the recipe to your taste
Use the marinade juices to dress spaghetti as a first course, which is the proper fenkata order. Peas added near the end are common. More garlic is always correct in Malta.
Ingredient substitutions
Chicken thighs work with a shorter cooking time. Stuffat tal-qarnit, octopus stew, uses the same treatment. Any robust red wine does.
Drink pairing ideas
A Maltese red from Girgentina or Gellewza grapes. Cisk lager is the everyday choice. Water, because a fenkata is long.
Serving and presentation ideas
Serve it in deep bowls with crusty Maltese bread and the potatoes from the pot. If you are doing the full fenkata, spaghetti in the rabbit juices comes first and the stew second, with a long gap between them.
A bit of history
Malta is small, densely populated and has been ruled by nearly everyone, and its cooking shows Sicilian, Arab and British layers. Rabbit was one of the few meats available to ordinary people, and the fenkata became a communal ritual. It anchors Maltese cuisine.
More recipe ideas
Summary: Stuffat Tal-Fenek
Stuffat tal-fenek is rabbit marinated in red wine and stewed with tomato, garlic and bay. Marinate overnight, brown it in batches, and stop before it dries out.
