Pet’s Plates

Coogi’s
St Agatha’s Esplanade,
Mdina

Food: 5/10  
Location: 8/10
Service: 8/10
Value: 6/10
Overall: 7/10

Where would Malta be without the rabbit? Often overlooked, elsewhere it may be underrated as a source of protein, but here it has taken its place in our island’s history.

In all likelihood, rabbits were introduced to Malta by the Romans or the Phoenicians. They survived and thrived and were soon providing meat for the local population. But even with their much clichéd reproductive prowess, these rabbits couldn’t compete with the appetites of the Maltese.

Centuries of hunting finally exhausted the once plentiful rabbit stocks and the Knights had to intervene. In a desperate bid to resolve the food crisis and give the rabbit population a chance to replenish itself, Grand Master Ximenes completely banned rabbit hunting for a while. In the eyes of the already disgruntled Maltese, this was hardly the best course of action for the Order to have taken!

Apart from the pleasure derived from eating rabbit, there was first and foremost the pleasure of hunting it – a pastime which the local clergy were positively fanatical about. A plot brewed and the hunting restrictions eventually culminated in the 1775 Uprising of the Priests. The rebellion was poorly contrived and short-lived. However, a year (and a few executions) later, the priests’ efforts bore fruit. In 1776, hunting for rabbits was allowed on public land and the nation rejoiced.

Even now, we still glorify the rabbit. And we do well to do so. For a number of years, rabbit has been touted as the new super meat. Extremely lean, rabbit is high in protein, low in calories and practically cholesterol free. It’s not strong tasting and enjoys depth of flavour with just a subtle hint of gaminess to it. This glorious white meat still plays a role in the national diet.

The fenkata is a local food tradition that has stood the test of time. Eating local, well-sourced rabbit and protecting an old way of cooking it, signals an approach to food that endorses the core principles of the Slow Food movement. Our fabulous stuffat tal-fenek (rabbit stew) is a dish that is entrenched deep in our cuisine and is often identified as Malta’s national dish.

Rabbit pieces are immersed in a marinade of red wine, fresh garlic and bay leaves. Once marinated, the rabbit meat is then cooked on a high heat until the meat is sealed. The reserved marinade is added to sautéed onions and tomato puree. The rabbit pieces are then added to the pot and the stew is gently slow cooked for about two to three hours. Garden peas are added to the zalza and this, along with some tender rabbit pieces, is served over pasta to make a delicious first course dish. You can then gorge on a second course of rabbit consisting of the rest of the stew served alongside potatoes. And there you have it... two fantastic meals in one swoop.

How can this place purport to be a tea garden when the desserts are of such poor quality?

Rabbit pasta was the dish I was tucking into at Coogi’s Restaurant and Tea Garden in Mdina. I was sitting in a vine-covered, sun-lit courtyard and very much enjoying the ambience. The egg fettuccine pasta was nice enough and the rabbit sauce was reasonably tasty, with tender pieces of rabbit tossed through it.

The menu states that the Torinese owners have brought over the best of Piemontese regional food, while also serving traditional Maltese dishes. I was intrigued. Piemonte is a region with a strong gastronomic identity. Apart from being home to the dynasties of Agnelli and Ferrero, Piemonte is the land of Barolo and Barbaresco, of Gorgonzola and the highly prized white truffle from Alba and Asti.

Piedmont is regarded as one of Italy’s top culinary destinations with Piedmontese cuisine highly rated as one of the best regional cuisines in the whole of Italy. I did not expect a Michelin standard of cooking at Coogi’s, but the Piedmont connection set me dreaming of good, well-cooked, Italian and Maltese food.

It was not the case. Rob’s risotto ai porcini could hardly call itself a risotto. The wrong rice had been used and thus the risotto was deprived of its hallmark creamy sumptuousness. The dish was also completely bland and there was none of the typical earthy pungency of porcini mushrooms. They should have added a world of flavour to the risotto.

Semi-satisfied with my rabbit pasta, I urged Rob to give dessert a chance. He was hardly enthusiastic. I chose the typical Piemontese dessert of Bonet, a French name referring to a chocolate and Amaretto pudding that typically takes the shape of a small bonnet. The traditional Bonet sweet is similar to a creme caramel with the addition of chocolate, rum and crushed amaretti biscuits.

The one served to me at Coogi’s was mediocre at best, made worse by the fact that it was topped with a snowball of low quality, very grainy ice cream. The lemon cheese cake was absolutely terrible and altogether inedible. It was definitely too stale to have been served. The soggiest of biscuit bases was topped with a thick layer of the most artificial, revolting cheese mousse. There wasn’t even the slightest hint of lemon zest. Rob hated me. How can this place purport to be a tea garden when the desserts are of such poor quality?

Food prices at Coogi’s are extremely reasonable so it was easy to forgive the poor risotto. On the other hand, the awful desserts were surprisingly pricey. The new year has seen me eating and enjoying local, traditional Maltese cooking. It certainly wasn’t the best pasta with rabbit sauce that I have ever eaten. But neither was it the worst.

On this occasion, Rob definitely got the short end of the stick. The pity was that we were delighted to be at Coogi’s. It was very pleasant to sit in the quaint courtyard with a bottle of Chianti and our lovely waitress was cheerful and competent. It’s such a shame that the food was so disappointing!

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