The cook starts hours before everyone arrives. The rabbit is slowly browned in a big pan with lots of garlic, then simmered with onion, tomato, herbs and a splash of wine until the meat is soft and tender. The kitchen fills with a deep, savoury smell.
A fenkata is usually two courses, not one. First, the pasta - cooked in the juices of the rabbit stew - is served, deep red and full of flavour. Then the meat and the thick sauce arrive on a big platter for everyone to share. Bread is passed around for mopping the plate clean.
Fenkati are most often held in summer, in big open-air country restaurants in places like Mġarr and Bahrija, with kids running around between the tables and grandparents telling stories. It is much less about the food and much more about being together for an entire afternoon.
Vegetarian families have their own versions - a tomato-and-vegetable stew with the same long pasta course, the same big shared bowls, the same hours of chatter. The food is different; the heart of the meal is the same.