Baked rabbit with lemon & garlic

Conejo al horno con limón y ajo

SERVES 4–6

4 garlic cloves, peeled

juice of 2 lemons, reserving the peels

2 farmed or wild rabbits, each cut into 8 pieces

2–3 tablespoons oregano, thyme or rosemary

olive oil

Pound the garlic to a paste with a good pinch of sea salt flakes using a mortar and pestle. Add half of the lemon juice and use the pestle to mix it in. Season the rabbit pieces well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then coat with the lemon and garlic paste. Set aside, covered with plastic wrap, to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 240°C (475°F/Gas Mark 8).

Put the rabbit pieces into an oiled baking tray and rub with the herbs. Splash over some of the olive oil and bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 30–40 minutes. Turn the rabbit pieces every 10–15 minutes, as they brown. At 15 minutes before the end of cooking time, pour over the remaining lemon juice and add the reserved lemon peels to the dish.

To serve, pile the rabbit pieces onto a serving platter along with the lemon peels, which by now will be lovely and caramelised, and can be eaten as an accompaniment to the dish.