Rabbit & olive stew

Method

1. Prepare the rabbit by rinsing and patting dry with paper towel, removing the kidneys and liver if they are still intact, then chopping into pieces on the bone much like you would a chicken – hind legs (these can also be cut in half again), front legs, backstrap and tenderloin. You could also ask your butcher to do this for you.
2. Dust the pieces of rabbit with flour and shake off any excess. Pour the olive oil in a deep pan suitable for a stew, and sear the rabbit over medium–high heat until golden. Remove and set aside.
3. In the same pan, cook the onion, carrot and celery over a gentle heat until the onion becomes transparent and soft, about 10 minutes. Add the garlic and fresh herbs and continue cooking a few minutes until fragrant. Return the rabbit back to the pot, season with salt and pepper, add the wine and cook for a further couple of minutes.
4. Add the tomato to the pan with 2 cups of the stock (or water) and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook on the lowest heat until the meat begins to just fall off the bone, about 1½ hours (note that wild rabbit or other wild game may take a bit longer to become tender than farmed rabbit or chicken). If the sauce is getting too thick or dry, top up as needed with the stock or water (you may or may not need to use all of it).
5. Check the meat to see if it is tender. When it is ready, you can either remove the meat from the larger bones for easier eating or leave in large pieces.
6. In the meantime, remove the pits from the olives. Flatten them with the flat edge of a heavy knife and pull the pits out. Add the olives to the stew right at the end, along with the fresh parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve with roasted potatoes.