Stuffat tal-Fenek (Rabbit Stew)

Rabbit, fenek in Maltese, is part of Maltese home cooking, including the stew stuffat tal-fenek. The rabbit is jointed and cooked slowly in a sauce that usually builds on garlic, onion, wine and tomato, with herbs such as bay. Visit Gozo notes that rabbit dishes are especially popular there, typically stewed or fried in garlic and served with a rich sauce and spaghetti. Visit Malta places rabbit after the pasta course at special occasions, served with Maltese potatoes and vegetables.

That two-part pattern is the shape of a fenkata, a get-together built around rabbit. The meal can start with spaghetti dressed in the stew sauce, followed by rabbit, stewed or fried with garlic, alongside potatoes. A fenkata is a social meal for a family or a group of friends rather than a quick dinner, and rabbit is also part of the traditions around L-Imnarja, the summer feast centred on Buskett.

Where to try it

• At family-style restaurants in the villages of central and northern Malta, often as a set rabbit menu for groups.
• In Gozo, where Visit Gozo says rabbit dishes are especially popular, and rabbit liver fried in garlic turns up as a starter.
• At countryside gatherings around Buskett Gardens and Mdina and Rabat, especially in summer.

Check availability and booking arrangements before planning a group fenkata. Come hungry: the spaghetti course is a full plate before the main event. Pair it with a local red; Malta's own grapes and wineries are covered in our wine tasting guide.