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Maltese · Mediterranean

Stuffat tal-fenek

Non-vegetarian

Rabbit marinated in red wine and garlic, then slowly stewed with tomatoes, bay, peas and potatoes. Malta's national dish and the heart of a fenkata feast.

Stuffat tal-fenek is a Maltese stew from Malta, ready in about 2 hours 5 minutes and made with rabbit, dry red wine and garlic. It serves 4 and is rated intermediate to cook.

Start cooking
Maltese rabbit stew with carrots, peas and bay leaf in a clay dish
Photo: El Mono Español / Wikimedia Commons · CC-BY-SA-4.0
Prep
20 min
Cook
1 h 45 min
Total
2 h 5 min
Serves
4
Level
Intermediate
Calories
651

Plus overnight marinating.

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Marinate the rabbit (opens in a new tab) with the wine, half the garlic (opens in a new tab) and the bay leaves (opens in a new tab) overnight in the fridge.

    • 5 min

    Food safety: Keep raw meat refrigerated while it marinates.

    Meat coated in a spiced marinade in a bowl
    How it looks · Photo: Ip Photographer on Pexels

  2. Step 2

    Lift out and pat dry the rabbit (opens in a new tab), keeping the marinade. Brown the pieces well in the oil in batches.

  3. Step 3

    Soften the onion (opens in a new tab), carrot (opens in a new tab) and remaining garlic (opens in a new tab) in the same pot. Stir in the tomato paste (opens in a new tab), then add the marinade and bubble for 2 minutes.

    • 10 min
    • medium heat
    Onions frying golden in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Magda Ehlers on Pexels

  4. Step 4

    Return the rabbit (opens in a new tab), add the tomatoes, water, salt and pepper (opens in a new tab), cover and simmer gently for 45 minutes.

    • 45 min
    • low heat
    A sauce simmering in a pan
    How it looks · Photo: Nanda Mends on Pexels

  5. Step 5

    Add the potatoes (opens in a new tab) and simmer 25 minutes more, then the peas (opens in a new tab) for the final 5 minutes, until the rabbit (opens in a new tab) is falling off the bone. Scatter with parsley (opens in a new tab).

    • 30 min
    • low heat
    Fresh herbs scattered over a finished dish
    How it looks · Photo: Klaus Nielsen on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
Malta · Well documentedMore food from Malta
Dish
Lunch · Dinner · Stews & braises · Main courses
Cooking method
Marinated / cured, Stewed
Taste
savoury, garlicky, rich
Diet
No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Whole-food focused · No gluten ingredients · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein
Worked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
Festive & celebration · Make-ahead · One-pot
Cook more with
Rabbit · Dry red wine · Garlic · Bay leaves · Onion · Carrot
Techniques
Simmering · Stewing · Slow-cooked gravy · Marinating · Curing

Allergens

  • Contains: Sulphitesfrom dry red wine

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

651 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 724 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 35%
  • Carbohydrate 30%
  • Fat 35%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy651 kcal90 kcal
Protein52.1 g7.2 g
Carbohydrate44.2 g6.1 g
Net carbohydrate35.7 g4.9 g
Sugars——
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre8.6 g1.2 g
Fat23.3 g3.2 g
Saturated fat5.3 g0.7 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol128 mg18 mg
Sodium1162 mg161 mg
Salt equivalent2.9 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
1904 mg
Calcium
136 mg
Iron
6.7 mg
Magnesium
116 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
316 µg
Vitamin C
54 mg
Vitamin D
—
Vitamin B12
16.1 µg
Folate (DFE)
83 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: parsley.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • At a fenkata the sauce is first served with spaghetti, then the rabbit as a second course.

Serve with

  • Serve with crusty Maltese bread to mop up the sauce.

Storage

  • Keeps 3 days refrigerated.

Reheating

  • Reheat gently until piping hot.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

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