Maltese Stuffat tal-Fenek Rabbit Stew

Method

1. 01

   Marinate the rabbit

   Put rabbit in a non-reactive dish with 150 ml red wine, half the garlic, marjoram, pepper and 3 g salt. Turn to coat, cover and refrigerate for 4–8 hours, turning once if convenient.

   

2. 02

   Drain and brown the rabbit

   Lift rabbit from marinade and pat dry; reserve the liquid. Heat olive oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high. Brown rabbit in batches on several sides, then transfer to a plate.

   

3. 03

   Build the tomato braising base

   Lower heat to medium. Add onions and cook 8 minutes until soft. Stir in remaining garlic and tomato paste for 1 minute, then add crushed tomatoes and cook 5 minutes to concentrate.

   

4. 04

   Return meat with wine and stock

   Return rabbit and its resting juices to the pot. Add reserved marinade, remaining wine, stock, bay leaves and remaining 4 g salt. Bring to a brief boil while scraping the browned base.

   

5. 05

   Braise until fork-tender

   Lower to a gentle simmer, cover with the lid slightly ajar and cook 75–90 minutes, turning the pieces once, until rabbit is very tender and the thickest pieces reach at least 71°C. Add a splash of water if the sauce reduces too far.

   

6. 06

   Add potatoes and finish with peas

   If using potatoes, add them for the final 25 minutes and cook until a knife slips in easily. Stir in peas for the final 5 minutes. Skim excess oil, taste the sauce and adjust salt.

   

7. 07

   Rest and serve

   Turn off the heat, stir in chopped parsley and rest 10 minutes so the sauce settles. Serve in warm bowls with bread or potatoes, spooning plenty of tomato-wine sauce over each portion.