I have been given some fresh local tender rabbits to cook, and I’m very excited. I don’t have many go-to recipes for rabbit, so I am trying some out. I’m hoping to get more and try out a Spanish recipe that uses chorizo. This time I went with an Italian vibe.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 rabbit, cut into five (2 front legs, 2 back legs, one saddle)
- 30g butter
- 30g pancetta or diced streaky bacon
- 1 stick of celery, finely chopped
- 1/2 can chopped tomatoes
- 1 clove of garlic, chopped
- 1/2 tsp dried marjoram, or a handful of fresh marjoram
- Salt and pepper
- A glass of dry sherry, or Marsala wine
- Water or stock
- A small aubergine, cut into 2cm cubes, set in a colander and salted
- One red sweet pepper, or a pimento for preference, sliced into strips
METHOD:
- Heat the butter in the bottom of a braising pan or shallow casserole dish. Fry the bacon and the celery together.
- As the fat starts to run from the bacon, add the rabbit to the pan and turn the pieces over to let them brown.
- Add the tomatoes, chopped garlic, marjoram and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, before adding the Marsala. Bring back to a simmer and reduce by half.
- Add water or stock so that the rabbit is just about covered, put the lid on the pan and simmer for around half an hour.
- Rinse the salted aubergine, and add to the top of the pan. Continue to cook for another 20 minutes, and then add the sliced red pepper. Cook for another ten minutes.
We served this with potatoes, because we have a lot of them. I would think that polenta would be an excellent accompaniment.