Conejo en Salmorejo Canario

Ingredients

• 1 rabbit, about 1.4 kg, jointed into 10 pieces
• 8 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2 dried pimienta picona or 1 dried hot chilli, soaked and pulp scraped out
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tbsp sweet pimentón
• 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 bay leaves
• 200 ml dry white wine
• 80 ml white wine vinegar
• 150 ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp coarse salt
• Black pepper
• 200 ml water or chicken stock
• Papas arrugadas or plain boiled potatoes, to serve

Before you cook

• Joint the rabbit into ten pieces and pat them dry.
• Soak the dried peppers in warm water for one hour and scrape out the pulp, discarding skins and seeds.
• Pound the garlic, cumin seeds and coarse salt in a mortar to a paste, then work in the pepper pulp, pimentón, thyme and oregano.
• Stir the wine, vinegar and 80 ml of the olive oil into the mortar paste to make the salmorejo marinade.
• Put the rabbit pieces in a deep dish, pour the marinade over with the bay leaves, turn everything so no piece sits dry, and refrigerate for twelve to twenty-four hours.

Steps

1. Lift the rabbit pieces out of the marinade and pat them dry with kitchen paper, keeping the marinade in the dish.
2. Heat the remaining seventy millilitres of olive oil in a wide heavy casserole over medium-high heat.
3. Fry the rabbit in two batches for five minutes a batch, turning the pieces until they are golden on all sides.
4. Return all the rabbit to the pot and grind over some black pepper.
5. Pour the reserved marinade over the rabbit, including the bay leaves.
6. Raise the heat and let the marinade bubble hard for four minutes to cook off the raw edge of the vinegar and wine.
7. Add the water or stock, bring it back to a simmer and cover the pot.
8. Cook on the lowest heat for forty-five minutes, turning the pieces once halfway, until the meat is tender at the bone.
9. Take the lid off and simmer for a final ten minutes so the sauce reduces and turns glossy and rust-red.
10. Taste the sauce and adjust the salt, then fish out the bay leaves.
11. Let the pot stand off the heat for ten minutes so the flavours settle.
12. Serve the rabbit with its sauce spooned over, alongside wrinkled Canarian potatoes.