World Cup Rabbit

Not being able to put my hands immediately on the Octopus, I settled on rabbit for a dish to accompany the World Cup final. Rooting for Spain I decided to cook a Catalan dish where the rabbit is braised in a tomato based sauce thickened with a "picada" made from chocolate, nuts, saffron and parsley. Here is the method.

In the blender whiz up a tablespoon of parsley, 2 cloves of garlic, a dozen each of blanched almonds and hazelnuts, a pinch of saffron strands and 15g of good chocolate (xocolata or la pedra if you can get it).

Cut the rabbit into serving size pieces and brown in olive oil and set aside. In the same large frying pan saute an onion until golden and then add a bay leaf, a 400g tin of tomatoes, 300ml of chicken stock, a tablespoon of parsley, 2 sprigs of rosemary and salt and pepper and simmer gently for 5 minutes.

After simmering, return the rabbit to the pan and cover and simmer for another 20 mins. Turn the rabbit pieces 2 or 3 times and add more stock or water if needed. It shouldn't be.

While it simmers, first soak 40g of raisins in water or sherry and second work about 6 tablespoons of the liquid from the rabbit pan into the dry picada mix. Then spoon the picada over the rabbit and add the raisins and simmer again, covered, for a final 10 minutes to thicken.

Believe me it works a treat and the recipe is probably the quickest I have used for rabbit. The result is well worth while assembling the ingredients, the rabbit is tender and moist and the sauce a perfect consistency and a flavor sensation. I serve it with saffron or biryani rice. Try it with a Spanish sherry - a dry Amontillado or a Palo Cortado