Stuffat tal-Fenek is Malta’s beloved national dish. This hearty rabbit stew is slow-cooked with tomatoes, wine, and aromatic herbs until the meat is fall-off-the-bone tender. It’s a cornerstone of Maltese home cooking and Sunday family meals.

Ingredients

• 2 tsp olive oil
• 800g rabbit pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 100ml red wine
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 2 tsp tomato paste (kunserva)
• 1/4 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp oregano
• 1 beef stock cube
• 400g polpa di pomodoro
• 100ml water
• 3 bay leaves
• 150g potatoes, cubed
• 50g frozen peas

Instructions

1. Brown the rabbit: In a saucepan, add olive oil and gently fry the rabbit for 5 minutes or until well browned. Remove and set aside.

2. Sweat the onion: In the same pan, sweat the onion until it becomes translucent.

3. Add aromatics: Add garlic and carrot, cooking for about 3 minutes on medium heat while stirring constantly.

4. Return the rabbit: Add the browned rabbit back to the pan.

5. Build the sauce: Add salt, pepper, red wine, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, beef stock cube, polpa, water, and bay leaves. Gently stir everything together.

6. Simmer: Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes.

7. Add vegetables: Add potatoes and peas, cover, and simmer for a further 20 minutes.

Serving Suggestions

• Serve with freshly cooked spaghetti
• Excellent with chips (Maltese-style)
• Perfect with lots of fresh Maltese bread to soak up the rich sauce
• Pairs wonderfully with a glass of robust red wine

Tips

• Ask your butcher to cut the rabbit into pieces for you
• Make sure to brown the rabbit well for maximum flavor
• The tomato paste (kunserva) adds authentic Maltese depth to the sauce
• For a thicker sauce, you can add 1 tsp cornflour mixed with water in step 5
• Leftovers are even more delicious the next day as the flavors develop