Michael Diacono is the chef-proprietor of Giuseppi’s restaurant in Mellieha. This is one of his most popular recipes.
3 rabbit saddles (deboned), six slices of French bread, eight amaretti biscuits, a handful of parsley, eight prunes (soaked), a teaspoonful of fresh thyme, a small onion (chopped), two cloves of garlic, one tablespoonful of brandy or marsala, one egg, salt and pepper, one rabbit liver (optional – chopped).
Process the bread and amaretti to produce fine crumbs. Add the herbs, garlic and onion and blitz them until they are finely chopped. Season the mixture with salt and pepper and bind it with the brandy and egg. Lay three sheets of parchment paper on top of each other on a flat surface and brush them with water. Sprinkle this with salt and pepper, chopped parsley and thyme. Lay the rabbit on the paper and season it with salt and pepper. Spread the stuffing mixture over the rabbit and lay the chopped liver over this. Put down the soaked prunes down the length of the paper, along the edge, and roll it up so that the prunes end up in the middle of the roll. Fold the paper down the edges and tie it with string. Place this parcel on a baking-tray and brush it with olive oil. Preheat the oven to gas mark 6/200C and bake the parcel for 40 minutes. Serve it hot immediately, or at room temperature as part of a buffet.