I tried this for the first time in Rabat -also called M'dina- the ancient and original capital of Malta, before the Chevalier de Valetta went to the island and changed things at the end of the Middle Ages.
The approach to Rabat in the clear summer evening was a dramatic thing, through the small-stonewalled fields under cultivation, through narrow country roads and always moving up until we were facing the illuminated walls of the ancient town on a hilltop.
The town streets were deserted, and we could see some soft golden lights through the finely latticed wooden balconies classic in Malta's old architecture of flat roofed houses made with large stone blocks of the creamy and smooth sandy rocks called globigerina, under the Prussian blue sky.
We walked around looking for a place to eat until we found a restaurant in a massive old house I had visited many years before.
It was a very ancient temple and the vaulted underground chambers had been refurbished to make a fine dinning room we reached through the kitchen, placed at the right side of the entrance, a large chamber separated by a partial glass partition.
The place was blissfully fresh and quiet. We propped our packs against the wall and sat on long benches around a massive table.
We were served a couple of large wooden salad bowls, one full of mushrooms and the other with greens and the tiny dark Roman tomatoes grown in the area and the owner brought us two bottles of San Paolo, the local red wine.

The rabbit stew came in an enameled shallow platter nearly three feet across and a side dish of spaghetti was served to each of us.
When I asked the owner for the recipe he smiled and told me that it was easier if I saw the making of the stew, and he marched me to the kitchen where the cooks were preparing it.
It was early, so they were starting to make a second huge pot of the stew and I was able to follow the procedures, a rather simple thing which result was a very tasty dish.

Ingredients (serve four)
1 rabbit, weighing about 1,5 kg cleaned and portioned.
Rabbit kidneys and liver
2 white onions peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled
3 large tomatoes, peeled and chopped
3 potatoes peeled and quartered
2 tsp. tomato paste
200g green peas
2 bay leaves
1 tsp. oregano
2 tsp. parsley
1 tbs. capers
½ cup black olives
½ cup stock
1 cup red wine
Seasoned flour (salt and black pepper)
1 tbs. olive oil
1 tbs. butter

Method
Roll the rabbit portions in the flour and shake off excess flour.
Heat the oil and butter in a thick-bottomed pot, add the rabbit and cook until it gets golden brown.
Add the onions, potatoes and garlic to the pot and pour some of the wine over the ingredients. Add the bay leaves, the stock and tomato paste.
Add the liver, kidneys and peas, bring to the boil, add the oregano and parsley, capers and olives and simmer for about 1 ½ hours or until the rabbit is cooked. Add more wine if the sauce begins to dry up.
Serve pasta with the rabbit sauce as starter followed by the rabbit and more sauce as main course.