Wednesday, August 10, 2022

Fenkata #EattheWorld

This Rabbit Stew is the National Dish of Malta, our desitination for this month Eat the World Challenge.  Tender rabbit in a savory wine gravy with potatoes, carrots and peas makes for a perfect one pot meal.

Fenkata

Join us as we explore the food and culture of Malta.......


Each month Evelyne of CulturEatz invites us to join her in exploring the food and culture of countries around the world.  This month she invited us to join her in discovering Malta.  

Check out all the wonderful Maltese dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us! 
I found a website called Will Fly for Food and this is what they had to say about Malta.
Malta may be a small country, but it is well known around the world for its breathtaking coastlines, crystal-clear waters, ancient structures, and of course, sumptuous cuisines. Of all the islands’ delicacies, arguably the most sought after is Fenkata.

This intrigued me so I went on a search for Fenkata and found this recipe at Allrecipes.com.   It sounded delicious and I was able to source rabbit at an Italian market about an hour from our home.  

Rabbit, cut up

I had never cut up a rabbit before but I figured it would be much the same as cutting up a chicken.  It is close but not exact.  This video from you tube helped.


Once the rabbit was cut up and browned with onions and garlic, I deglazed the pan with wine, added the remaining ingredients, and let it simmer away until it was tender and delicious.

Rabbit Stew

We were having our friends, Steve and Sharon, for dinner and I decided to make this stew for our dinner.  Steve is a foodie too so I knew it would be well received.  I needn't have worried.  You could serve this stew to anyone and they would love it.  

Fenkata pin



We paired the stew with a red wine from Italy.  It was amazing.  I will be making this dish again, however, rabbit is more expensive than chicken here in Michigan so it might be a chicken stew which would be just as tasty in this recipe.



Entrees, Stew, Rabbit, One pot meals
Entrees
Maltese
Yield: 4 servings
Author: Wendy Klik
Fenkata (Rabbit Stew)

Fenkata (Rabbit Stew)

Tender rabbit in a savory wine gravy with potatoes, carrots and peas makes for a perfect one pot meal.
Prep time: 20 MinCook time: 3 HourTotal time: 3 H & 20 M

Ingredients

  • 1/4 c. olive oil
  • 1 rabbit, cleaned and cut into pieces
  • 1 vidalia onion, chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1/2 c. red wine
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 3-4 c. beef broth
  • 1/4 t. ground nutmeg
  • 2 T. tomato paste
  • pinch of sugar
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 4 potatoes, peeled and quartered
  • 2 carrots, scraped and cut into chunks
  • 1/2 c. frozen peas
  • 2 T. cornstarch + 2 T. water, combined for slurry

Instructions

  1. Heat the oil in a dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the rabbit, onions and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring the vegetables and turning the chicken, until chicken is lightly browned and onions are translucent and fragrant.
  2. Add the wine, bay leaf, nutmeg, tomato paste, and sugar. Cook and stir, scraping up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pan.
  3. Add the potatoes and carrots, season with salt and pepper, then add the broth until all ingredients are covered. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, and stir in the peas.
  4. Cover and simmer for at least an hour or more, until potatoes and carrots are tender. (I allowed my stew simmer on the lowest heat setting for 3 hrs before we ate. You could also make this in the slow cooker, if desired)
  5. Remove the rabbit and vegetables to a serving dish. Bring the liquid up to a boil and stir in the slurry. Continue to boil until the liquid thickens to a gravy consistency, pour over the stew and serve.

Notes

Adapted from a recipe found at Allrecipes.com

Nutrition Facts

Calories

689.13

Fat (grams)

20.26

Sat. Fat (grams)

3.94

Carbs (grams)

56.1

Fiber (grams)

7.77

Net carbs

48.34

Sugar (grams)

9.76

Protein (grams)

63.62

Sodium (milligrams)

1061.43

Cholesterol (grams)

202.5

12 comments:

  1. Yes, we are on the same wavelength. Rabbit is pricy. I paid 18. I imagine in other parts of the world it is much cheaper. Still, we can enjoy it now and then (if we can find it!)

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  2. I went the seafood route...but the next time I have a rabbit in my fridge. Thanks for sharing.

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  3. My Italian Swiss grandmother's signature dish was rabbit. I would not even know where to buy it! This sounds amazing. Your foodie friend must have been super impressed!

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    Replies
    1. Even better, Frank and our friend, Sharon, were impressed as well.

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  4. I really do love rabbit. The stew looks awesome.

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  5. Another rabbit stew, wow, this rabbit stew is also delicious!

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  6. Your stew looks sooo good. I'm excited to try rabbit again - haven't cooked it in years. Thanks so much.

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