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1
Marinate the Rabbit Overnight
10 Mins + Overnight
Refrigerator, 4°C (40°F) or below
Put the rabbit pieces in a large bowl with 180 ml (3/4 cup) of the red wine, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, the dried herbs and half the salt and pepper. Turn the pieces so every side is coated, cover the bowl tightly, and leave it in the fridge overnight, or for at least 8 hours. Lift the rabbit out of the marinade and pat the pieces very dry with kitchen paper; keep the marinade liquid for the pot.
Dry rabbit browns; wet rabbit steams. Patting the pieces dry is the difference between a deep brown crust and pale, grey meat.
Done when: The rabbit is evenly coated in the dark wine marinade and the meat smells of garlic and herbs.
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2
Brown the Rabbit
15 Mins
Medium-high heat, oil about 180°C (350°F)
Heat the olive oil in a heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the rabbit pieces in batches, about 3 minutes a side, until deep golden brown all over. Do not crowd the pot — pieces that touch will steam instead of browning. Lift each batch out onto a plate as it is done.
Leave the pieces alone once they hit the oil; moving them too soon tears the crust off.
Done when: Every piece is deep golden brown on all sides, with a crisp-looking crust.
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3
Build the Tomato and Wine Sauce
10 Mins
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Turn the heat to medium and add the chopped onions to the same pot, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Cook for 5 minutes until soft and golden, then add the sliced garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1 minute until the paste darkens. Pour in the reserved marinade, the remaining 60 ml (1/4 cup) of red wine and the water, then add the canned tomatoes, the remaining bay leaf and the rest of the salt and pepper. Stir well and bring to a gentle simmer.
Letting the tomato paste fry for a minute before the liquid goes in takes away its raw, tinny edge.
Done when: The sauce is a deep red, bubbling gently, and smells of tomato, garlic and wine.
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4
Braise Low and Slow
90 Mins
Low heat, gentle simmer about 95°C (200°F)
Return the rabbit pieces to the pot, pushing them down so they sit mostly covered by the sauce. Put the lid on slightly ajar, lower the heat to a gentle simmer, and cook for 90 minutes, turning the pieces once halfway through. The sauce should barely bubble — a hard boil will toughen the meat. If the sauce gets too thick, add a splash of water.
Resist lifting the lid every few minutes; each peek lets out heat and adds cooking time.
Done when: The rabbit is tender when a fork slides into the thickest piece with no resistance, and the meat reaches 74°C (165°F) at its thickest part.
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5
Add the Potatoes, Carrots and Peas
25 Mins
Low heat, gentle simmer about 95°C (200°F)
Lift the lid, nestle the potato quarters and carrot rounds into the sauce around the rabbit, and simmer for 20 minutes until the potatoes are nearly tender. Stir in the peas and cook for 5 minutes more. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt and pepper — the long cooking concentrates the flavours, so season at the end, not the start.
Push the vegetables down into the sauce rather than piling them on top, so they cook evenly and absorb the flavour.
Done when: Potatoes are tender all the way through when pierced with a knife, carrots are soft but not mushy, and the peas are bright green.
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6
Rest and Serve
10 Mins
Off the heat, covered — serve hot, 74°C (165°F) or above
Take the pot off the heat, fish out the bay leaves, and leave the stew covered for 10 minutes so the sauce settles and the meat relaxes. Serve the rabbit pieces with plenty of sauce, potatoes, carrots and peas, and put crusty bread on the table for mopping up.
The stew tastes even better the next day, after the sauce has had a night to settle into the meat.
Done when: The sauce coats a spoon thickly and the rabbit is hot right through, at 74°C (165°F) or above.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Rest the stew covered for 10 minutes, remove the bay leaves, and serve hot with crusty bread. If you are serving it the Maltese way, spoon some of the sauce over spaghetti first, then bring the rabbit to the table as the main course.
Malta
1h 25m
France
Vietnam