Serves 8

Prep: 30 min

Cook: 90 min

2 rabbits, cut into neat joints,

or 8 chicken legs

2 bay leaves

A few sprigs of thyme and rosemary

1 strip orange zest

Half bottle of full-bodied red wine

200g rindless smoked streaky bacon

4 tbsp vegetable oil

2 onions, approx 250g in total

2 garlic cloves

2 carrots, approx 200g in total

3 sticks celery

3 large, flat mushrooms

Generous pinch chilli flakes

4 tbsp seasoned flour

750ml chicken stock (cube is fine)

Place the rabbit or chicken in a dish with the bay leaves, thyme, rosemary and orange zest. Add the wine and leave, turning once, to marinate. Meanwhile, chop the bacon. Heat 2 tbsp oil in a large, heavy-bottomed, lidded pan, stir in the bacon and cook briskly, stirring occasionally, until the fat runs and crisps. Meanwhile, peel and finely chop the onion and garlic. Stir them into the crisp bacon and cook, stirring a couple of times, while you scrape then finely chop the carrot, celery and mushroom. Add the carrot and celery to the pot, stir well, season with 1 tsp salt, cover and leave to cook for 10 minutes. Stir again and add the mushroom and chilli. Adjust the heat so the vegetables sweat down and soften without burning. Allow about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Lift the herbs and zest from the marinade and add to the pan, then lift the meat onto a double fold of kitchen paper and pour the wine into the vegetables. Simmer briskly while you pat dry the joints and dust with flour. Quickly brown in hot oil in batches. Add the stock to the pot, stir as it returns to the boil then submerge the rabbit or chicken. Return to simmer and agitate the sauce to loosen the flour from the meat to thicken the sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes, reduce heat to very low, cover and leave to simmer very gently, stirring once or twice, for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and leave to simmer gently until the meat is very tender, and the sauce thickens and darkens; the longer it's left, the darker and richer it becomes. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper, discard the herbs and serve with parsnip clapshot.

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