Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground Cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon ground Ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon Black Pepper
• 1 1/4 teaspoons Salt
• 3 tablespoons plus 1/4 cup Olive Oil
• 1.5 kg NZ Rabbit pieces (Bone in) – could be a whole rabbit cut into 4-5 pieces or equivalent legs 
• 1 tablespoon Butter
• 1 medium Red Onion, halved, then sliced thickly
• 1 Tbsp Verjuice or Port Wine to deglaze
• 4 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped
• 3 Tbsp chopped fresh Parsley
• 1/2 cup water
• 500mls Chicken Stock
• 2 Tbsp runny Honey
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 1 cup Prunes (stone removed)
• 1 Cup Verjuice plus 100mls if marinating
• 1/3 cup slithered or whole Almonds

Method

Marinate the Rabbit preferably overnight or for a minimum of three hours with 100mls of Verjuice.

Mix together ground cinnamon, ginger, turmeric, pepper, salt, and 2 tbsp olive oil in a large bowl. Add rabbit pieces and turn to coat well.  Set aside for up to 30 minutes out of the fridge. 

Heat butter and 1 tablespoon oil in base of tagine (or heavy based oven dish), then brown the rabbit in batches, skin sides down, turning over once. Transfer to a plate. Brown remaining rabbit in same manner, adding any spice mixture left in bowl. Keep browned rabbit warm.

Add onion to tagine and cook, uncovered, stirring frequently, until soft.  Add garlic and continue to cook for few minutes. Add a splash of Port Wine or Verjuice to deglaze the pan, stirring constantly. Pour 1/2 cup water and all the chicken stock into the onions and cook until the stock has melted entirely.  Add the reserved rabbit and any juices accumulated on the plate. Reduce heat and simmer covered for 15 minutes.  You can put the whole dish into the oven at this point around 180°C for an hour and a half.

While the rabbit cooks, bring the honey, one cup of Verjuice, cinnamon stick, and prunes to the boil in a saucepan.  Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the prunes are very tender. Once the prunes are tender, simmer until the liquid reduces to one third of it’s original volume.  Add this mixture to your rabbit with the chopped fresh parsley.

While the prunes cook, heat a little olive oil in a small pan over medium heat and cook the almonds, stirring occasionally, until just golden. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain.  Add to the rabbit reserving a few to sprinkle over each plate.

Serve over your choice of couscous, rissoni, rice or potato.

Read about the origins of Gourmet Direct Rabbit Meat