This is a dish I created on Easter Sunday and twittered that I had cooked “el conejo de pascua” (thats the Easter Bunny to you…) Some found it funny whilst others seemed to take a huge amount of offence… But life goes on!

Back to the stew, it was absolutely delicious – despite the fact that it was my usual bung everything in and hope for the best. Actually, truth be told, I think once you have an understanding of flavours and what works you can make dishes up on the fly like that – and dont let any recipe cook / over-enthusiastic chef tell you any different!

Ingredients

1 Rabbit (cut into pieces)
1 Onion, chopped
3 Carrots, peeled and sliced
2 Potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 Red Pepper, deseeded and sliced
1 Can of Chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 litre of chicken or vegetable stock
1 small package of tomato frito (or pasata if you do not have it)
1 small chorizo sausage, sliced thinly
1 small morcilla sausage, cut into pieces (it will fall into the sauce)

Olive Oil to fry

Instructions

1. Heat the oil is a large stew pot and lightly fry the rabbit pieces until Golden Brown.
2. Add the Onions and fry until softened.
3. Add the Carrots, Red Pepper, Potatoes and sliced sausage
4. Cook for a couple of minutes
5. Add the tomato frito and chicken stock. Bring to a gentle boil and then reduce the heat.
6. Cook slowly on the hob for about an hour

If you have too much sauce at the end and wish to thicken make a basic roux with flour and butter, make it into a paste and add to the stew. Cook until the sauce thickens.

Ingredients::
4 tbsp olive oil
1 cup plain flour
1 rabbit, cut into serving pieces, washed and patted dry
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 large onion, finely diced
2 cups dry white wine
6 black olives, pitted and quartered
6 fresh sage leaves – finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
¼ cup red-wine vinegar

Method::
Heat 4 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan or casserole over a high heat.

Flour the rabbit pieces lightly, when the oil is very hot, add half of the rabbit portions to the pan – do not ‘crowd’. Season with salt and pepper and cook – turning once – until golden on both sides – this will take about 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

Discard the oil and place the frying pan back over a medium heat, add the remaining oil and an equal amount of butter, when it is hot – but not yet smoking, add the onion and cook gently, scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up the residue, until the onion is lightly golden and soft – about 6 to 7 minutes.

Return the rabbit to the pan, raise the heat to high, and add the wine. As soon as the wine begins to bubble, cover and reduce the heat to low. Simmer, stirring from time to time and turning the rabbit once, until the wine is almost all evaporated and the rabbit is tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 to 50 minutes.

Transfer the rabbit to a serving platter, cover loosely with foil, and keep warm in a low oven.

Add the olives, sage, and garlic to the pan, and stir over medium heat until the garlic gives off its fragrance, about 1 minute. Add the vinegar and stir quickly until the pan juices have thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Spoon the pan juices over the rabbit and serve whilst hot.

I use an ovenproof dish, cover and cook in the oven for 45 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius

I believe that Pie’s are something the British do extremely well, and I love Game and Rabbit Pie in particular. One of my favourites is by a chef known as Rick Stein. A chef I admire not only for his culinary expertise in general, but because of his passion for British food at its best. It seems every nationality loves to jump on British food, believing we eat nothing but fried breakfasts and roast beef. Its nice to see a commercial chef champion this cause, and tackle it head on!

Here is his recipe for Rabbit Pie, slightly adapted.

Ingredients:

1 whole rabbit, jointed
1½ plain flour seasoned with sea salt and pepper
2 oz unsalted butter and 1 tbsp olive oil
6 oz streaky bacon, cut across into strips
4 shallots – diced
6 oz carrots, diced
Zest of a lemon – finely grated
2 sprigs of thyme
½ pint Newcastle Brown Ale [or any will do...]
½ pint of vegetable or chicken stock
12 oz puff pastry
1 egg, lightly beaten
Sea salt and black pepper

Forcemeat Balls:

5 oz fresh white breadcrumbs
2½ oz vegetable suet
1 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tsp finely chopped lemon thyme
Zest of a small lemon – finely grated
2½ oz streaky bacon, finely chopped
1 large organic egg, lightly beaten

Method:

Coat the pieces of rabbit in the seasoned flour and then pat off the excess. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large frying pan, add the rabbit and brown lightly on both sides, transfer onto a plate and put to one side.

Add the bacon to the pan and when it is lightly coloured, add the shallots and carrots – fry gently for 3 minutes.

Mix the remaining seasoned flour with a little butter and add to the vegetables, along with the lemon zest, thyme, ale and vegetable stock. Return the rabbit to the pan, cover and simmer for an hour, or until the rabbit is tender.

Mix the breadcrumbs, suet, parsley, chopped lemon thyme leaves, zest and bacon together, stir in seasoning to taste and sufficient egg to bring the mixture together, then shape into ‘large’ marble’ size balls.

When the rabbit has cooled, remove from the pan and take out all the bones. Place into a shallow pie dish with the sauce, cover and put to one side leave to cool.

Place the forcemeat balls on top of the rabbit.

Roll out the pastry on a lightly floured work surface until it is a little larger than the dish. Cut off a narrow strip of pastry and place around the edge of the pie dish, brush with a little water and press onto the rim of the dish. Put the pastry on top of the dish and – using a fork – crimp the edge. Cut a slit in the centre of the pastry to allow the steam to escape.

Put into the fridge to chill for about an hour.

Preheat the oven to 210 degrees Celsius or Gas Mark 6.

Brush the top of the pie with the beaten egg yolk and water, and bake in the centre of a preheated oven for about 35 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown.