Hunter's-Style Rabbit Risotto

Ingredients:

6 cups hot Chicken or Vegetable Stock

125 grams Unsalted Butter

1 Onion, finely chopped

1 Carrot, finely chopped

1 Celery rib, finely chopped

50 grams Prosciutto, finely chopped

600 grams Boneless Rabbit, cut into small cubes

500 grams Risotto Rice

150 ML Red Wine, Chianti works well

1 TBSP Tomato Paste

1 TBSP Chopped, Fresh Rosemary

150 grams Chestnut Mushrooms, quartered

50 grams grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

50 grams Greek style black olives, pitted and quartered

Sea Salt and freshly ground Pepper

Sprigs of Rosemary to serve

Recipe:

Put the stock in a large saucepan and keep it at a gengle simmer. Melt half the butter in a large, heavy sauce pan and add the onion, carrot and celery. Cook gently for 10 minutes until soft and goldern but not browned. Add the prosciutto and rabbit and cook for anoher 5 minutes but do not let it color and harden. Stir in the rice unntil well coated with butter, heated through and beginning to smell toasted. Mix the tomato puree with the wine and pour it innto the rice. Bring to a boil  and reduce by half.

Begin adding the stock, a large ladelful at a time, stirring gently until each ladle has almost been absorbed by the rice. The risotto should be kept at a bare simmer throughout the cooking process. Halfway through the cookinng process add the mushrooms and continue cooking, addding stock until the rice is tender and creamy, but the grains still firm.

Taste  and season well with salt and pepper and stir in the remaining butter, the Parmigiano and the olives. Cover and let rest for a couple of minutes so the risootto can relax,  Serve decoratively topped with rosemary sprigs.