Name: Sweetly spiced rabbit pilaf
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 tbsp butter -; 1 tbsp olive oil -; 2 onions , thinly sliced -; 3 garlic cloves , sliced -; meat from legs and loins of 2 wild rabbits , cut into bite-sized chunks -; 2 cinnamon sticks -; 1 tbsp cumin seeds -; ½ tsp chilli powder or hot paprika , plus a sprinkle -; 250g long-grain rice , well rinsed -; 350g butternut squash , peeled and sliced into half-moons -; 85g pitted prunes -; 400ml chicken stock -; handful mint (or coriander, or dill) -; 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts or toasted flaked almonds -; Low-fat Greek yogurt -; pomegranate molasses or lemon juice -

Ingredients for - Sweetly spiced rabbit pilaf

1. 1 tbsp butter

2. 1 tbsp olive oil

3. 2 onions , thinly sliced

4. 3 garlic cloves , sliced

5. meat from legs and loins of 2 wild rabbits , cut into bite-sized chunks

6. 2 cinnamon sticks

7. 1 tbsp cumin seeds

8. ½ tsp chilli powder or hot paprika , plus a sprinkle

9. 250g long-grain rice , well rinsed

10. 350g butternut squash , peeled and sliced into half-moons

11. 85g pitted prunes

12. 400ml chicken stock

13. handful mint (or coriander, or dill)

14. 2 tbsp toasted pine nuts or toasted flaked almonds

15. Low-fat Greek yogurt

16. pomegranate molasses or lemon juice

How to cook deliciously - Sweetly spiced rabbit pilaf

1 . Stage

Melt the butter and oil in a wide, lidded pan, and add the onions and garlic. Soften gently for 5 mins, then tip in the rabbit and cook for 5 mins more, stirring until it changes colour all over (it doesn’t need to be particularly browned). Turn up the heat a little, add the spices and fry for 2 mins until aromatic. Lift out the pieces of loin and set aside.

2 . Stage

Tip in the rice, squash and prunes, cover with the stock and season. Bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 10 mins. Put the loin meat on top of the rice, re-cover and cook for another 5 mins or until you can see channels appearing in the surface of the rice and most or all of the liquid has disappeared. Remove from the heat and set aside for 10 mins.

3 . Stage

Fluff up the tender rice with a fork, check the seasoning and scatter with the fresh herbs and the nuts. Serve each portion with a blob of yogurt topped with a sprinkling of chilli or paprika, plus a drizzle of tangy pomegranate molasses or lemon juice.