Potato dough rabbit ravioli with braised rabbit & fava bean sauce

(Ravioli di patate al coniglio)

Serves 6 (makes approximately 60 ravioli)

1 whole rabbit (approximately 1.2 kg/2 lb 10 oz)

fine sea salt, to taste

freshly ground black pepper, to taste

100 ml (3½ fl oz) extra virgin olive oil

1 carrot, roughly sliced

1 celery stalk, roughly sliced

1 brown onion, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, roughly chopped

160 ml (5¼ fl oz) white wine (something sweet, like a Riesling, is preferable)

2 litres (70 fl oz/8 cups) chicken broth

1 bay leaf

3 thyme sprigs

5 black peppercorns

250 g (9 oz) baked ricotta

150 g (5½ oz/1½ cups) freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, plus extra, to serve

600 g (1 lb 5 oz) fresh egg potato dough

fine semolina, for dusting

100 g (3½ oz) salted butter, chopped

6 fresh broad (fava) beans, podded, blanched and peeled (see Note)

Break the rabbit down into the hind legs, the two front legs, the saddle and the rib cage. If you are not sure how to do this, ask your butcher to do it for you. Season with the sea salt and black pepper. Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large saucepan over medium–high heat and sauté the rabbit until golden in colour. Remove and set aside. Add the vegetables to the pan and cook until brown. Return the rabbit to the pan and deglaze with the white wine. Once the wine has evaporated, add the chicken broth, herbs and peppercorns. Bring to the boil and simmer for approximately 2 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bones. Strain, reserving the liquid. Retain the meat but discard the vegetables, herbs and peppercorns. Cool slightly, then pick the meat from the bones and refrigerate until chilled.

For the sauce, reduce the reserved braising liquid to about 375 ml (13 fl oz/1½ cups) until it is a sauce consistency, skimming the oil and residue regularly. Set aside.

In a food processor, pulse the meat with the baked ricotta cheese and Parmigiano Reggiano cheese until combined. Try not to make a purée as you want some of the texture of the meat to remain. Season with the sea salt and black pepper.

To make the ravioli, roll the pasta dough into sheets of less than 1 mm (¹/₃₂ inch) thickness. Brush one sheet lightly with water and place ½ tablespoon measures of the rabbit mixture roughly 5 cm (2 inches) apart. Place another sheet on top, pressing around the mixture to remove air bubbles (this step is essential). Using a circle cutter of approximately 5–5.5cm (2–2¼ inches), cut a round ravioli shape, dust lightly with the semolina and place on trays lined with non-stick baking paper.

In a small frying pan, melt the butter over medium–high heat until it is a dark golden brown colour. Set aside.

Cook the ravioli in abundant salted boiling water, adding the broad beans for the final 15 seconds (be careful not to overcook them). Drain and serve with the rabbit sauce, browned butter, broad beans and extra Parmigiano Reggiano cheese.

NOTE: To peel fresh broad beans, first blanch them in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and chill in iced water, then strain and squeeze the beans out of their skins.