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Rabbit with Green Olives and Preserved Lemons

Written by Countryside Alliance | Jan 1, 2000 12:00:00 AM

Serves: 2

Difficulty: Hard

Preparation time: 15 mins

Cooking Time: 2 hours 5 mins

  • 1 wild rabbit jointed into 8 (legs chopped in half)
  • 50g butter
  • ½ tsp flaked sea salt
  • 3tbsp coriander stalks, finely chopped, leaves reserved
  • 1 medium red onion, very finely diced
  • 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
  • 1 large thumb of ginger, finely chopped
  • 1 tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 12 large green olives, stoned and halved lengthways
  • 700ml water
  • 60g preserved lemons (quartered lengthways and thinly sliced)

To serve:

  • Cooked couscous with a pinch of cinnamon

Melt the butter in a heavy casserole just big enough to take the rabbit.

Put the rabbit in and the salt followed by the coriander, onion, garlic and ginger.

Scatter in the powdered spices and cook them for a few minutes, turning everything together methodically and taking care not to burn them.

Drop in the olives.

Pour in the water, bring the liquid up to a simmer before turning it right down and putting the lid on. Leave it on the hob to cook 2 hours, check the temperature after 5 minutes by lifting the lid - it should not be boiling, just gently simmering. Regulate the heat again if necessary.

20 minutes before serving drop in your preserved lemons.

When done, scatter the rabbit with chopped coriander leaves and serve with couscous dusted over with a little cinnamon.