The first time I saw a skinned rabbit, I thought it resembled something from the movie Alien… but I soon got over it when I tasted this stew — rich and redolent of Gozo itself.

Serves 4

1 rabbit, jointed

1 bottle of red wine

2 large onions

3 cloves of garlic

2 tbs olive oil ( more if needed)

the green of 1 large spring onion, chopped

a handful parsley

2 bay leaves

6 sprigs of thyme

10 whole pepper corns

4 small carrots, chopped

250ml pasata

200ml chicken stock

1 strip of lemon peel, chopped

½ lb fresh or frozen peas

2 tbs salted capers, rinsed

salt and pepper

1. Roughly chop the carrots, one onion and 2 cloves of garlic, and place in a bowl with the rabbit pieces, the herbs and the whole peppercorns.  Add enough wine to cover, and leave to marinate for at least 1 ½ hours – overnight would be better.

2. Finely chop the other onion and the last clove of garlic.  Fry slowly in 1 tablespoon of the olive oil until lightly golden, and remove to a casserole dish.  Remove the rabbit pieces from the marinade, dry them, and brown all over in the frying pan, adding more olive oil if needed.  Once they are nicely brown, put them into the casserole, and deglaze the frying pan with some of the wine from the marinade.  Add the chicken stock, and reduce by a third, scraping up the cooking residue.

3. Put the green of the spring onion, the lemon peel, and the passata into the casserole.  Pour over the reduced wine and stock, and the rest of the marinade.  There should be enough liquid to cover the rabbit, but if not, add some more of the wine.  Season with salt and pepper.

4. Cover the casserole, and bring to the boil for 15 minutes on the hob.  Then place it in a slow oven for 1 ½ - 2 hours, until the rabbit is cooked and falling away from the bone.  About 10 minutes before the end of cooking add the peas and the capers. Serve sprinkled with some chopped parsley and with a pile of sautéed or mashed potatoes, or just a few chunks of fresh bread.