Ingredients
1 rabbit
200g onions
3 garlic cloves
200g peas
200g tomatoes
40g tomato paste
2 glasses red wine
Sage
Bay leaves
½ tsp mixed spice
Seasoning
Olive oil

Method

You can either buy a whole rabbit and cut it into pieces or else you can buy rabbit joints. Keep in mind that you should serve two joints per person.

First, peel and chop the tomatoes, onions and garlic, and put in separate bowls.

In a large bowl, pour the wine and add some of the sage and bay leaves and seasoning. Mix well so that all the ingredients are combined. Put the rabbit joints in this marinade and leave to marinate for not more than an hour.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat some oil and fry the onions and garlic. Stir frequently until soft but not brown. Lower heat and add the tomato paste, tomatoes, mixed spice, bay leaves, wine, peas and some water. Cover pan till the mixture starts to boil. If using frozen peas, follow the instructions on the packet, before adding to mixture. When the mixture starts to boil, remove from heat.

Remove the rabbit joints from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper. Pass the marinade through a sieve and set aside.

Season the rabbit joints. Heat some oil in a sauté pan and fry to a golden colour. Add the rest of the sage. If preferred, you can brush the joints with olive oil and sprinkle some sage and seasoning on them and then roast in a pre-heated oven.

Add the rabbit joints to the tomato mixture, cover and cook on a very low flame for 90 minutes. If the stew starts to dry up, add some more marinade. This dish can also be cooked as a casserole in a moderate oven.

You can serve this stew with spaghetti and plenty of grated cheese; or else on its own with fresh Maltese crusty bread.

Anton Dougall is an Expert on Maltese food.