MY MUM’S BRAISED RABBIT IN SALSA

This is one of my mum’s specialities. Every time friends or family came to our house, they’d ask her to make this dish – and they’d always have seconds. It’s so tasty that you can just keep eating and eating. Even though we’ve cooked it together, I don’t know what she does – it’s never the same when I make it. People often think that rabbit is dry but it really isn’t. The meat should fall off the bones.

FOR 4

50ml extra virgin olive oil, plus a little extra

1 whole rabbit (ask your butcher to portion your rabbit for you – this is the cheapest way – or buy the shoulder only and cut it in half)

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 onion, cut in thick julienne

4 cloves of garlic, finely sliced

1 leek, sliced on an angle

2 sticks of celery, sliced on an angle

2–3 carrots, sliced on an angle

4 ripe tomatoes, cut into cubes

2 dried choricero peppers, roughly chopped

2 dried red chillies, roughly chopped

2 bay leaves

200ml white wine

1 litre chicken stock

3 teaspoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves

Put the olive oil into a pan on a medium heat and cook the pieces of rabbit until browned. Remove and season.

Add a little more oil to the pan, then add the onions and garlic. When the onions start to turn golden brown, add the leek and celery and let them caramelize, then add the carrots and cook until softened. At this point, add the tomatoes and cook down until the mixtures is paste-like to make a sofrito – you want to get rid of the tomatoes’ acidity and cook off the water. Season to taste.

When the sofrito is slightly reduced and everything has come together, add the dried choriceros and chillies, the bay leaves, salt and pepper and cook for a minute, then add the wine. Cook to evaporate the alcohol (you’re looking for it to cook down and no longer be liquid), then add the chicken stock. Put the rabbit back into the pan, cover with the lid and cook on a very gentle low-medium heat for around 40 minutes. It is ready when you can see the meat fall from the bone.

Finish with the chopped parsley and serve with patatas a lo pobre (see here).