Ranhados (rabbit)

• By Daphne Caruana Galizia

For 4 people, you will need:

One rabbit (jointed), dry red wine, two cloves of garlic (peeled and crushed), a sprig of parsley and another of rosemary (chopped), three tablespoonfuls of lard, 150g of fatty bacon, 800g of new potatoes, pepper and salt.

Make a marinade of the wine, garlic, parsley, rosemary, salt and pepper, and leave the rabbit in it for at least four hours. Grease an earthenware baking-dish with lard. Place the rabbit in the dish and cover it with the bacon. Bake it in a moderate oven, basting with the marinade from time to time. Boil the potatoes until they are just cooked, peel them and place them around the rabbit when it is almost cooked, to brown them lightly. Just before you bring out the rabbit, pour any remaining marinade into the dish and leave it to thicken slightly. Serve this straight from the dish.