Rabbit (or Chicken) & Garlic Stew

Serves 4

1 medium rabbit (OR 1 medium chicken), cut into pieces

500g shallots, peeled but whole

100g bacon bits

4 morcilla (OR chorizo) sausages, sliced

Small punnet button mushrooms, sliced

1 tbsp dried thyme

2 heads of garlic, separated into cloves but not peeled

4 bay leaves

1 heaped handful chopped, fresh parsley

2 tbsp sherry vinegar

500ml chicken stock

salt and pepper

Olive oil for frying

1.  Brown the rabbit (OR chicken) pieces in a tablespoon of olive oil, then remove from the pan.

2.  Add more oil and fry the bacon and shallots, stirring occasionally, for 10 - 15 minutes.

3.  Add the morcilla (OR chorizo) sausage slices and the sliced mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes.

4.  Add the rabbit, garlic, thyme, parsley, bay leaves and seasoning. Mix well. 

5.  Add sherry vinegar and chicken stock until the meat is covered. Bring to the boil, cook uncovered for 5 - 10 minutes. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 - 1½ hours until the meat is tender/falls off the bone.

Serve with wholegrain mustard mash and sliced green beans.

Tomato, Garlic & Rosemary Focaccia

(USING BREAD MACHINE TO MAKE DOUGH)

Makes a 30 cm diameter loaf

225 ml tepid water

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil + 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

½ tsp sea salt + extra to top

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 sprigs + 3 sprigs fresh rosemary (leaves only) chopped

400g bread flour

1½ tsp dried active baking yeast

Punnet of Baby Plum Tomatoes, halved lengthways

1. Place the water, 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, garlic, 2 sprigs-worth of rosemary, flour and yeast in the pan of a bread machine. Select Dough Cycle*.

2.  Remove the dough from the bread machine when ready. Press dough into a 30 cm cake tin or pizza pan, bottom lined with baking parchment. Dimple it deeply all over with your fingers.

3.  Brush the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil over the dough and sprinkle on the remaining rosemary. Press the tomato halves into dimples, then sprinkle all over with some good pinches of salt (sea salt flakes give a nice finish).

4.  Preheat the oven to 200ºC. Cover the focaccia loosely with cling film while the oven heats.

5.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 mins or until golden brown. Allow to cool before serving.

* (Check the dough halfway through the mixing stage and add a tbsp or so more water if it looks too dry - a wetter dough will give a lighter focaccia)