Simple recipes · clear steps · everyday ingredients
Quick Med KitchenSaved
Home/Recipes/Fenek Moqli (Maltese Fried Rabbit)

Maltese

Fenek Moqli (Maltese Fried Rabbit)

A traditional Maltese fried rabbit dish, marinated then cooked with garlic, white wine, and herbs until golden and fragrant.

A traditional Maltese fried rabbit dish, marinated then cooked with garlic, white wine, and herbs until golden and fragrant.

Jump to recipe
Prep20 minsCook40 minsServes4DifficultyMedium
Watercolour illustration of golden fried rabbit pieces with garlic, parsley and lemon.

Bright, satisfying and built for real life.

This recipe brings together the generous flavours of Maltese cooking in a format that works on a busy day. Read through the method before starting and adjust seasoning to your taste.

The recipe

Fenek Moqli (Maltese Fried Rabbit)

20 min prep40 min cook60 min total4 people
Scale:

Ingredients

Ingredients

Method

  1. 1

    Marinate: Season rabbit pieces with salt, pepper, bay leaf, and dried herbs. Drizzle lightly with olive oil and lemon juice. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour (overnight is better).

  2. 2

    Brown the rabbit: Heat olive oil in a wide heavy pan over medium heat. Add rabbit pieces and fry until well browned on all sides, about 15-20 minutes total. Turn occasionally so they develop a golden crust.

  3. 3

    Add garlic and wine: Add sliced garlic and cook gently without burning. Pour in white wine and let it reduce for 3-4 minutes. Lower heat, cover loosely, and cook another 15-20 minutes until tender.

  4. 4

    Finish: Increase heat briefly to crisp slightly if needed. Sprinkle generously with fresh parsley. Adjust seasoning and squeeze a little more lemon if desired.

Fenek Moqli is a Maltese fried rabbit dish. In this version, the meat is marinated, then cooked with garlic, white wine, and herbs. Serve it as a main course with potatoes and bread; the cultural note below explains how rabbit can also form part of a longer fenkata meal.

Compare this pan-cooked version with rabbit stew and plan the wider meal in the Maltese rabbit guide.

How It's Traditionally Served

  • As a rabbit main course, with a separate pasta starter if you are planning a longer meal
  • With fried potatoes
  • With crusty Maltese bread
  • Sometimes with a simple green salad

Traditional Notes & Tips

  • The flavour should be garlicky but balanced
  • It is rustic, not battered or breadcrumbed
  • Some cooks use lard instead of olive oil for a more traditional countryside taste

Recipe adapted from Maltese Recipes.

Storage

No specific storage guidance is provided in the source recipe.

Freezing

Check the recipe notes for any dish-specific freezing guidance.

Reheating

Follow current food-safety guidance and reheat cooked food thoroughly where appropriate.

Keep cooking

You might also like