Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 joined rabbits
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 large shallots chopped
• 2 carrots sliced
• 4 sticks celery diced
• 50g dried wild mushrooms
• 100g sultanas
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• chopped parsley
• 50g toasted pine kernels

For the marinade

• 1 bottle red wine
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 4 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 teaspoon black peppercorns

For the celeriac purée

• 2 Celeriac
• 1 litre milk
• 100g butter
• black pepper

Method

1. Put all the marinade ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Add the rabbit and cover with cling film and leave to marinate for at least 12 hours.
3. Remove the rabbit joints from the marinade and pat dry. Retain the marinade.
4. Soak the dried mushrooms in some warm water for about 20 minutes.
5. Heat the olive oil in a heavy lidded pan or casserole.
6. Brown the rabbit joints and set to one side.
7. Fry the shallots, carrots and celery in butter until opaque.
8. Add the marinade and simmer gently until the sauce has reduced by at least a quarter, if not more.
9. Now add the dried mushrooms along with the water in which they have been soaking.
10. Cover and simmer very slowly for a very good hour.
11. Add the sultanas 15 minutes before you serve.

Celeriac purée

1. Peel and dice the celeriac.
2. Place in a saucepan with the milk and some salt & pepper.
3. Simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring regularly, until soft enough to mash.
4. Remove celeriac and mash with the butter.

Finally

Chop the parsley and stir into the stew at the last minute. Serve with the celeriac and scatter toasted pine kernels on top of the mash just before serving.