Rabbit with prunes and red wine

St Demetrius' Day is almost here, with a festive table that has no lamb and no fight over the price. Rabbit is lean, tender meat that goes soft after about an hour and a half in red wine with dried plums. The dish cooks over low heat and needs no watching, so it suits a Sunday lunch.

Ingredients

Method

1. Prepare the meat

   Pat the pieces dry with a paper towel, sprinkle them with the teaspoon of salt and coat them in the flour. Shake off the extra flour so only a thin layer is left.

2. Brown the rabbit

   Heat the oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Brown the meat in two batches, 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden, then move the pieces to a plate.

   Do not overfill the pot, or the meat will boil instead of browning.

3. Soften the vegetables

   Add the onions, cut into half rings, and the carrots, cut into rounds, to the same fat. Cook for 8 minutes over medium heat until the onion turns translucent. Add the chopped garlic and the tomato purée and stir for 1 more minute.

4. Pour in the wine

   Add the red wine and scrape the golden bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let it bubble for 3 minutes, until the smell of alcohol is gone.

5. Braise the rabbit

   Return the meat to the pot, pour in the warm water and add the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes.

6. Add the prunes

   Add the prunes and cook, covered, for another 30–35 minutes, until the meat comes easily off the bone when pierced with a fork. If the sauce is thin, take the lid off for the last 5 minutes.

   The prunes go in after the first 40 minutes so they do not fall apart or make the sauce too sweet.

7. Let it rest

   Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes so the sauce settles. Remove the thyme and bay leaves and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

How to serve it

Serve with warm mashed potatoes or boiled rice, which soak up the prune sauce.

Per serving (approximate): 610 kcal · protein 44 g · fat 23 g · carbohydrates 46 g