This Maltese rabbit and olive dish has become one of our favorites at home this year. It’s adapted from Matty Cremona’s A Year in the Country: Life and Food in Rural Malta, a lovely illustrated book published in Malta by Proximus Publishing, in 2003.

Maltese Rabbit with Olives

Serves 4 to 6

6 tablespoons olive oil
Flour for dusting
1 whole rabbit, cleaned and cut into 10 or 12 pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup wine vinegar
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 onion, sliced into hawkmoons
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
2 carrots, sliced into thin discs
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed of brine
1 1/2 cups whole olives, rinsed of brine
1 small sprig rosemary
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine

In a large, heavy-bottomed casserole, heat the oil over medium heat. Dust the rabbit with flour and fry until golden. Sprinkle with sugar and cook until it’s dissolved. Pour over the wine vinegar and allow it to evaporate and slightly caramelize. Cover the pan, remove from heat, and set aside.

In another small frying pan, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat and cook the garlic, onion, celery, and carrots with the capers and olives until the vegetables are soft, 10 to 15 minutes.

Return the rabbit to low heat, spoon over the aromatic mixture the rabbit, add the rosemary and bay leaf, and cover with the stock and wine. Simmer, partly covered, for 60 to 90 minutes, until tender. Add more stock if it threatens to dry out.