RABBIT AND BUTTER BEAN STEW WITH COURGETTE AND SORREL
RABBIT AND BUTTER BEAN STEW WITH COURGETTE AND SORREL
RABBIT AND BUTTER BEAN STEW WITH COURGETTE AND SORREL

Ingredients
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 250g/9oz spicy chorizo
  • diced
  • 1 onion
  • diced
  • 1 celery stick
  • diced
  • 1 carrot
  • diced
  • 2 garlic cloves
  • grated
  • 2 red chillies
  • roughly chopped
  • 50g/1¾oz caster sugar
  • 100ml/3½fl oz red wine
  • 100ml/3½fl oz red wine vinegar
  • 2 x 400g can butter beans
  • drained
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 300ml/½ pint chicken stock
  • 2 wild rabbits
  • jointed
  • plain white flour
  • for dusting
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 1 large courgette
  • diced
  • knob of butter
  • for frying
  • 2 large handfuls fresh sorrel
  • chopped
  • 1 unwaxed lemon
  • zest only
  • 100g/3½oz manchego cheese
  • 2 tsp cracked black pepper
Directions
  • Preheat the oven to 160C/325F/Gas 3.
  • Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large ovenproof pan with a lid. Fry the chorizo until the oils come out.
  • Add the onion
  • celery
  • carrot
  • garlic and chillies and fry gently for a few minutes. Add the sugar
  • wine and vinegar and cook until reduced in volume to a glaze.
  • Add the butter beans
  • bay leaves and stock.
  • Meanwhile
  • dust the rabbit shoulders and legs in flour. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a clean pan and fry the shoulders and legs
  • turning
  • until golden-brown. Season with salt and pepper and add them to the pan containing the stock and beans. Bring it to the boil. Turn down the heat to a simmer and put the lid on.
  • Bake for 30 minutes then remove the lid and cook for a further 30 minutes
  • checking the liquid doesn't dry out. Cook until the rabbit is cooked through. Remove the pan from the oven. Take out the rabbit pieces and keep to one side.
  • Place the pan on the hob and bring to the boil. Reduce the liquid down in volume a little
  • then add the courgette and cook for 1-2 minutes.
  • Fry the rabbit loins in a clean pan with a little butter for 2-3 minutes on each side
  • or until cooked. Remove them from the heat
  • slice them and stir them and the sorrel into the beans. Place the legs and shoulders back on top.
  • To serve
  • grate on the lemon zest and manchego cheese. Sprinkle on some cracked black pepper and serve.