A dark, fairly intensely flavored stew that is best made with rabbit (or, traditionally, hare), but is quite good with chicken.You can make the entire dish in advance and let it rest at room temperature for a few hours before reheating (or cover and refrigerate overnight). This is lovely just with crusty bread, or with any potato dish.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

　　1 rabbit or 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into 8 pieces

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　2 large onions, roughly chopped

　　4 garlic cloves, sliced

　　2 cups dry red wine

　　1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

　　2 cups chopped tomatoes (canned are fine), with their juice

　　1 cinnamon stick

　　3 whole cloves

　　1 bay leaf

　　2 allspice berries

　　1 teaspoon sugar

　　

Step 1

Put half the oil in a deep skillet or flameproof casserole, preferably nonstick, with a lid. Turn the heat to medium-high and wait a minute or so, until the oil is hot. Put the rabbit pieces in the skillet; season with salt and pepper and brown the pieces well, rotating and turning them as necessary, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate and wipe out the pan.

　　

Step 2

Put the remaining 2 tablespoons oil in the skillet, turn the heat to medium-high, and add the onions and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions soften, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook, stirring occasionally, and allowing it to bubble away for a minute or two. Stir in the vinegar and tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomatoes break up, about 10 minutes. Tie the cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf, and allspice in a small cheesecloth bag and add to the sauce, along with the sugar and some salt and pepper.

　　

Step 3

Return the meat to the pan, cover, and adjust the heat so the mixture simmers steadily. Cook until the meat is tender but not dry, 20 to 40 minutes (chicken is likely to require less cooking time than rabbit). If the sauce is thin, transfer the meat to a plate and keep it warm, then reduce the sauce over high heat until thickened. Spoon over the meat and serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.