The Maltese love fenek. Rabbit, that is. In the old days, when Malta and Gozo were isolated and poor, there was very little meat other than rabbit, which they used to catch in the wild. Today, it's mostly farmed, but it remains as popular as ever - there are even special parties, called fenkata, held at tiny bars. We decided to try out a traditional Gozitan preparation, stewing the meat in olives and red wine to keep it tender. It went particularly well with another Maltese peculiarity - the island's bread based, herby green sauce, which is more starchy side dish than condiment.
The butcher we bought the rabbit from asked if we wanted it pieced or whole. Initially, we told him we'd take it whole - but he was very suspicious. Eventually, he decided it would be best if the thing was dismembered and began hacking. We stopped him before the back was cut apart, but not before he'd taken the head off and neatly split it open. With the meat came the liver and two other small organs, which we discarded. Too many rabbit livers in restaurants - they're tasty, but not great stewing meat.
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Marinade it at room temperature for about two hours, or longer in the refrigerator. Use a full bottle of wine.
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Bake the whole thing, covered, for between one and half and two and a half hours - ours took a little longer because the stove we were working with isn't great. The meat will be pretty firm when it's done, and will be coming off the bone. Check regularly - you don't want to overcook it.
We served the rabbit with the olives and carrots, with the green sauce alongside and none of the cooking liquid. If you'd like, you could certainly thicken the juices and wine and make a very nice, more traditional stew or sauce. The green sauce was herby and a great accompaniment, though, with a lightness and freshness that served the stewed meat very well.
Here are the recipes:
Gozitan Stewed Rabbit and Maltese Green Sauce
For the rabbit,
Ingredients:
1 rabbit, pieced and cleaned
1 bottle red wine, uncorked
2 onions, chopped
5 cloves garlic, sliced
4 carrots, peeled and stripped
3/4 cup green olives
2 - 4 tablespoons small capers
4 - 6 sprigs fresh thyme
1 handful fresh mint, lightly chopped
1 handful fresh parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon mustard
Olive oil or other good cooking oil
Ground black pepper, perhaps a bay leaf, salt
Process:
- Marinade the rabbit in red wine in a large roasting tray or a deep casserole. Into the wine, scatter herbs, onion and garlic. Grind pepper into the mix. Cover and let sit 2 hours at room temperature, or longer in the refrigerator, up to 24 hours.
- Preheat the oven to 160° fahrenheit. Assemble other ingredients.
- Remove the rabbit from its bath, retaining marinade. Let dry for a few minutes, then fry quickly in oil over high heat until browned but nowhere close to cooked. Return to marinade.
- Bring the liquid (with the rabbit in it) to a boil on the stovetop and let simmer for about five minutes, then cover and put into the oven.
- Cook between 1 1/2 hours and 2 1/2 hours, checking for doneness and making sure not to overcook. When the rabbit is nicely firm and definitely falling away from the bone, it's likely done, but check to make sure just in case.
For the green sauce,
Ingredients:
2 thick slices crusty country bread
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 cups mixed herbs (parsley, rucola and mint - but feel free to add in other greens on hand)
1 tablespoon capers
Olive oil
White vinegar
Salt
Process:
-Remove the crust from your bread slices and let soak in water with a splash of vinegar for a few minutes.
-While that soaks, chop your herbs and crush your garlic.
-Remove bread and squeeze until as much liquid as possible is wrung out. This will turn into a gloppy mash. Don't get too preoccupied with getting it "dry." You just don't want it sopping.
-Put bread, garlic, capers and a quarter of your herbs into a mortar and mash.
-Continue to add herbs until they are all mixed in.
-Salt, cover with olive oil and set aside in the refrigerator.
-Stir before serving.
Check out all of our recipes.
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