Serves four

Ingredients
2 whole rabbits
50g carrots
50g celery
100g onions
2 cloves garlic
5g thyme
2 egg whites
50ml fresh cream
100g Parma ham
Stock

For the confit of vegetables
4 shallots
500g celeriac
150g carrots

Method

Chop off the rabbits’ heads and cut again behind the ribs.

Clean the rib bones and preserve the meat attached to the bone. Cut in half to have four racks and cook in oil for eight to 10 minutes.

Cut the whole loin from the legs and use the legs to make a filling by deboning them.

Blend the celery, carrots, shallots, onions, garlic, thyme and rabbit leg meat. At the end, add the egg whites and the cream to obtain a smooth paste. Clean the loin from the back bones and have the filling ready in a piping bag.

Line the Parma ham slices on a piece of cling film, put the loin meat and pipe some stuffing in the centre, and roll tight to form a tube.

Joe Vella is the Executive Chef, Hilton Malta, St Julian’s.