Fenkata
Malta's rabbit stew carries real symbolic weight: under the Knights of St. John, rabbit hunting was restricted to the ruling elite starting in the 16th century, criminalizing what had been a staple peasant food and pest-control practice, tightening further through the 18th century and contributing to the 1773 Rising of the Priests. Hunting rights on private land were restored to the general population in 1776 following that revolt, and eating rabbit has carried genuine symbolic weight ever since — a marker of reclaimed freedom, not just a protein choice, still celebrated today at communal fenkata feasts tied to the L-Imnarja festival. Real fenkata is fried first, then braised in red wine and garlic, with spaghetti cooked in the braising sauce served as a starter course before the rabbit itself — leaning too heavily on tomato, a common modern drift, loses the wine-forward original.
⚠ Contains: Gluten. Always check your own ingredients — this isn't a guarantee for severe allergies.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg rabbit, jointed
- 500ml red wine
- 8 cloves garlic
- 2 bay leaves
- Whole peppercorns
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- Olive oil
- 400g spaghetti
Steps
- Marinate the rabbit pieces in red wine, garlic, and bay leaf overnight.
- Fry the rabbit pieces in olive oil.
- Braise in the wine marinade with the tomato paste, garlic, and peppercorns for 1.5-2 hours until tender.
- Cook the spaghetti in the braising sauce and serve as a starter course.
- Serve the braised rabbit as the main course.