Rabbit Stifado

Instructions

1. Put the 220 g of jointed rabbit in a bowl with the 60 ml of red wine, the 1 tbsp of red wine vinegar, the 1 bay leaf and the 1 sprig of rosemary. Turn to coat, cover and leave at cool room temperature for 1 hour, or overnight in the fridge.
2. Put the 100 g of small onions in a bowl, cover with boiling water and leave 5 minutes. Drain and slip off the skins, trimming the tops but leaving the root ends intact so the onions hold together during the long braise.
3. Lift the rabbit from the marinade, reserving every drop along with the bay and rosemary, and pat the pieces thoroughly dry. Heat the 1 tbsp of olive oil in a heavy casserole over medium-high heat and brown the rabbit on all sides for 6-8 minutes, in one uncrowded layer, until deep gold. Transfer to a plate.
4. Lower the heat to medium, tip the peeled onions and the 1 clove of crushed garlic into the same fat and cook for 6-8 minutes, rolling them about until glazed and golden all over. Stir in the 1 tbsp of tomato purée and let it fry for 1 minute to lose its raw edge.