Date and Walnut Stuffed Rabbit with Beans and Garlic

This recipe takes a little time and patience, as you need to bone the Rabbit, though it pays back when it comes to serving. As for the wine Joux, ensure to get a good wine reduction so that all tannins and acidity evaporates. Broad Beans are in season, so I chose them to accompany the rabbit. Broad Beans with garlic is an old Maltese dish and it was eaten regularly on Wednesdays and Fridays part of the fasting diet. Fresh or frozen beans are suitable, but you need to shell them from the second skin.

1 whole rabbit approx 1.5kg
10 Rashers streaky bacon
5 large Egyptian Dates
10 walnut halves
5 sage leaves
Salt & Pepper

For the Wine Joux
1/2 bottle Red wine
1 tbsp olive oil
1tsp worchestershire sauce
2 cups chicken stock
1 small head garlic
Bones from the rabbit
Sprig thyme
4 bay leaves
1 tablespoon tomato jam(or honey)

Beans and Garlic
350g shelled broad beans
3 cloves garlic crushed
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp grated lemon rind
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Salt & pepper.

Bone the rabbit, try as much as possible to have one rectangular piece of meat. Reserve bones, livers and kidneys.

Layer 6 large pieces of Cling film on top of each other over your work top approx 45cmx45cm. Cut the streaky bacon in two and remove the rind. Layer bacon each one overlapping the other.  Arrange the rabbit meat on top, then layer the sage leaves along in the middle.  Season well with salt and black pepper.  Arrange the Rabbit livers and kidneys on top of the sage leaves.  

Slice the dates in two lengthways and arrange over the livers.  Place walnut halves along each date then pulling the cling film roll the rabbit over to form a long roll. Twist the sides and turn the roll towards you so that the cling film stretches and hold everything in shape.  Chill for 1/2 an hour or over night if you prepare this in advance.

Heat the oven to 200c, place the rabbit roll on a baking tray, and bake for 45 minutes.  Remove from oven and let it rest for 15 minutes.  Then using a pair of scissors remove the cling film and cut into 2cm portions.

Wine Joux

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan, add rabbit bones, thyme, bayleaves and roughly crushed garlic and fry till golden brown.  Add wine and boil rapidly to reduce by two thirds.  Add chicken stock cover and continue to boil till it reduce back to just 1 cup of sauce. Turn off heat and strain through a sieve.  Return sauce to a small saucepan, add tomato jam and worchestershire sauce and simmer till it thickens to a velvety sauce.

Beans and Garlic

Heat olive oil and butter in a casserole.  Add beans and garlic and fry gently. Add grated lemon rind and the lemon juice, season well and serve warm.