Maltese flavours at home: stewed rabbit or chicken, ftira and a simple dessert

Malta sits in the middle of the Mediterranean, and its cooking shows it: tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, bay, capers, wine, good bread and plenty of patience. Stewed rabbit is a much-loved dish across the islands, often served at family tables. Here is a home version of a Maltese-style dinner, with chicken as an easy swap.

Stewed rabbit (or chicken), the slow way

Rabbit is lean, so it likes gentle, wet cooking. Ask a good butcher for a rabbit cut into pieces. If you cannot find one, bone-in chicken thighs work beautifully.

Serves 4 to 6

• 1 rabbit in pieces (about 1.2 kg), or 8 bone-in chicken thighs
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, sliced
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 glass (about 200 ml) red wine
• 1 can (796 ml) whole tomatoes, crushed
• 2 bay leaves
• A handful of parsley
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano or marjoram
• 2 carrots and a few potatoes, in chunks
• A handful of peas (optional)
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Season the meat and brown it in olive oil in a heavy pot, in batches, until golden. Set aside.
2. In the same pot soften the onion for 8 minutes, then add the garlic and tomato paste for a minute.
3. Pour in the wine and scrape up the brown bits. Let it bubble for 3 minutes.
4. Add the tomatoes, bay, herbs and about 250 ml water. Return the meat.
5. Cover and cook very gently, about 1 hour 15 minutes for rabbit, 45 minutes for chicken. Add the carrots and potatoes for the last 30 minutes, peas in the last 5.
6. Taste, adjust the salt and finish with parsley.

Serve the sauce as a first course over spaghetti, and the meat afterwards with bread. This is a common way of eating it, and it stretches the meal pleasantly.

A ftira-style loaf

Ftira is a Maltese flat, ring-shaped loaf with an airy crumb and a chewy crust, often split and filled. A full traditional ftira needs a special dough and technique, but you can make a good home version.

Dough

• 500 g bread flour
• 10 g salt
• 5 g instant yeast
• About 340 ml warm water
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

1. Mix everything and knead 8 to 10 minutes, or fold the wet dough every 30 minutes for two hours.
2. Rest until doubled, 1 to 1.5 hours.
3. Shape into a wide, flat round or ring on a lined tray. Rest 30 minutes.
4. Bake at 230 C for 20 to 25 minutes until golden and hollow-sounding.

For a classic filling, split it and layer tuna, capers, olives, sliced tomato, a little onion, fresh basil or mint and a drizzle of olive oil. Anchovies are optional. Or simply tear it and use it to mop the stew.

A simple dessert

Keep the end of the meal light. Slice oranges, dress them with a spoon of honey and a pinch of cinnamon, and top with toasted almonds. Or serve fresh figs or seasonal fruit with a little ricotta. If you want something baked, a dense almond cake, made with ground almonds, eggs, sugar and orange zest, is a lovely partner to coffee.

For the host

• Make the stew a day ahead. It tastes better when it rests, and the fat is easy to lift off after chilling.
• Rabbit bones are small. Warn guests, especially children.
• Wine in the sauce: most of the alcohol cooks off, but tell guests who avoid it. Use stock with a spoon of red wine vinegar instead.
• Allergies: ftira fillings often include fish, and the dessert has nuts. Label them.
• Leftover stew keeps three days in the fridge and freezes well.

What to drink

A simple red from southern Europe suits the stew, with sparkling water or a bitter lemon for those who prefer no alcohol. End with strong coffee.

Looking for more dishes from other kitchens? Browse our around the world section.

This is a home cook’s interpretation, not a definitive recipe, and families across the islands each do it their own way. Make it yours, serve it with good bread and take your time.