Coelho Guisado à Caçador

Ingredients

• 1rabbit — about 1.5 kg, jointed
• 300 mlred wine
• 1onion — chopped
• 1 headgarlic — cloves peeled
• 200 gsmoked bacon — cut into lardons
• 2ripe tomatoes — grated
• 2bay leaves
• 1 tspsweet paprika
• 5 tbspolive oil
• 600 gpotatoes — cut into chunks
• to tastefine sea salt and black pepper

Method

1. Begin by preparing the rabbit for marination. Cut the rabbit into manageable pieces and place them in a large bowl. Mince half of the garlic head and add it to the bowl along with 300 ml of red wine, 2 bay leaves, and a generous pinch of fine sea salt and black pepper. Cover the bowl and let it marinate in the refrigerator overnight to allow the flavors to permeate the meat.
2. When ready to cook, remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat the pieces dry with paper towels. Reserve the marinade for later use. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Brown the rabbit pieces in batches, ensuring each piece is well-seared on all sides, then remove them to a plate.
3. In the same pot, add the remaining olive oil if needed and reduce the heat to medium. Dice the onion and the remaining garlic, then add them to the pot. Cook until the onion becomes translucent and the garlic is fragrant, about 5 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in 1 teaspoon of sweet paprika, ensuring it coats the onions and garlic evenly.
4. Return the pot to the heat and pour in the reserved marinade, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. This deglazing step will add depth to the sauce. Once the liquid comes to a simmer, return the browned rabbit pieces to the pot along with any juices that have accumulated on the plate.
5. Dice the smoked bacon and add it to the pot, followed by the two ripe tomatoes, chopped into chunks. Stir everything together gently, ensuring the rabbit is mostly submerged in the liquid. Cover the pot and reduce the heat to low, allowing the stew to braise gently.
6. While the rabbit cooks, peel and cut the potatoes into large chunks. Add them to the pot after the rabbit has been cooking for about 30 minutes. Continue to simmer until the rabbit is tender and the potatoes are cooked through, which you can check by piercing them with a fork; they should offer little resistance.
7. Once the rabbit and potatoes are tender, taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper if necessary. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of the sauce. Serve the Coelho Guisado à Caçador hot, with crusty bread or more potatoes on the side to soak up the rich, flavorful sauce.