Hare – or rabbit – Stifádo

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 rabbit or hare weighing 1.5 kg
• 2 onions
• Carrot(s)
• 1 stalk(s) Celery
• 2 cup(s) wine, red, tart
• 3 tbsp vinegar
• 3 peppercorns
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp rosemary, shredded
• 3 cloves garlic
• 3 tomatoes
• 1 cup(s) oil (olive oil)
• 1 kg onion(s), very small

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 30 minutes

Lagos or kounéli Stifádo

Wash and dry the rabbit. Divide the rabbit into portions: legs, shoulders, and forelegs, separate the back and breast, and divide the back and breast again. Prepare the marinade: Peel 1 onion, grate and wash the carrot, and wash the celery. Slice all three ingredients and place them in a bowl with the red wine and vinegar, peppercorns, bay leaf, and rosemary. Peel 1 garlic clove, crush it with a garlic press, and add it to the marinade. Place the rabbit pieces in the marinade and let it rest in the refrigerator overnight. On the day of preparation, remove the rabbit pieces from the marinade and pat dry. Prepare the tomatoes: Wash the tomatoes, make a cross-shaped incision, and briefly place them in boiling water. Peel the tomatoes and cut off the stems. Gently press out the seeds. Cut the tomatoes into pieces and puree them in a blender. Heat the marinade in a saucepan and simmer for 10 minutes; then strain. Meanwhile, heat 1/3 of the olive oil in a pan and fry the rabbit pieces. Season with salt and pepper. This will take about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the second onion and the remaining two garlic cloves. In another pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil and fry the onion until translucent. Briefly fry the garlic cloves and add the tomato puree. Pour in the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Add the rabbit pieces to the sauce. They should be covered by the sauce – add more water if necessary. Bring everything to a boil and let the rabbit simmer with the lid on over low heat for 1 to 1.5 hours. Meanwhile, peel the onions. Heat the remaining olive oil in a pan and fry the onions for about 10 minutes. Add the onions to the rabbit and simmer in the lid on over low heat for 20 minutes. Serve with fresh, fluffy white bread.