Ingredients
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1 large rabbit, jointed (approximately 3 1/2 pounds)
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2 bay leaves
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4 tablespoons red wine vinegar (balsamic also works nicely)
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1/2 cup olive oil
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2 tablespoons tomato paste
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1/3 teaspoon sugar
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4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
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1 small cinnamon stick (about a 3-inch length)
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4 whole allspice
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1 sprig rosemary
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2/3 cup red wine
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1 1/4 cups hot water
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salt and black pepper
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1 1/2 lbs white pearl onions, peeled, left whole
Instructions
- Rinse the rabbit pieces and place them in a mixing bowl together with the bay leaves and vinegar; mix well and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight; remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper.
- Heat half of the olive oil in a large saucepan until hot, add the rabbit and fry the pieces until quite brown on all sides; add the tomato paste, bay leaves (left over from the marinade), sugar, garlic, spices, wine and the hot water.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Bring to the boil mixing well then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan; add the onions and sauté gently for 15 minutes stirring occasionally, until golden all over; after the rabbit has been cooking for 1 hour, add the onions and oil from the frying pan to the saucepan; combine, then re-cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes; fish out the cinnamon stick, allspice berries and rosemary sprig.
- Note: This can be served with pasta, noodles, rice or oven-roasted potatoes, but my personal favourite is homemade french-fries, which taste delicious dunked in the spicy sauce.