Stuffat tal-Fenek

Slow-cooked rabbit stew with wine, tomato, garlic and herbs.

• Serves: 4 people
• Preparation: 15 min
• Cooking: 1 hr 10 min

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

Method

1. Brown the rabbit pieces thoroughly in olive oil, then remove them from the pan.
2. Soften the onion in the same pan, add the garlic and carrot and cook for another few minutes.
3. Return the rabbit and add the wine, Worcestershire sauce, tomato paste, sugar, oregano, stock cube, chopped tomatoes, water and bay leaves.
4. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer gently for at least 45 minutes.
5. Add the potatoes and peas, cover and cook for another 20 minutes, until the rabbit and vegetables are tender.
6. Adjust the seasoning and serve with bread, or reserve some sauce for the traditional first course of spaghetti.

Food safety: Cook rabbit to at least 71°C in the thickest part, away from bone.

Image credit: Renata Apan via Wikimedia Commons (resized for web)

Image source: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The_national_dish_of_Malta_%E2%80%93_Stuffat_tal-Fenek_(rabbit_stew).jpg

Image licence: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/