Richard Olney's rabbit with saffron, cucumbers and tomatoes

This is one of the most wonderful things I've cooked all year. It originates from Richard Olney's lovely book, Simple French Food. I have changed the original recipe slightly, omitting the flour and the liver and substituting verjuice for white wine. Essentially, though, it retains the spirit of the original - just slightly lighter in flavour. The cucumbers add the most surprising and vital flavour - you really have to try it for yourself to appreciate just how good it is.

Serves four

4 rabbit legs (you can buy them separately)
1tbspn of olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, peeled and finely sliced
20 strands of saffron
2 cloves of garlic
250ml of verjuice (or light white wine)
500ml of rabbit stock (or chicken stock, if you prefer)
12 little tomatoes (San Marzano are lovely)
3 small cucumbers (I like to half peel them in a stripey way and remove seeds, then cut into half-inch slices)
1 bunch of basil (leaves only and torn into strips)
Salt and pepper

Season the rabbit legs with salt and pepper. Place a pot large enough to hold all the ingredients over a medium heat. Pour in the olive oil and gently brown the rabbit all over; remove and set aside while you sweat the onions gently for 10 minutes. Add the saffron and garlic and sweat for a further 2-3 minutes.

Pour in the verjuice (or wine), turn up the heat and allow to bubble. Add the stock, turn the heat to low and return the rabbit to the pan. Place a lid on saucepan and cook the rabbit on the lowest possible heat for 35 minutes. Rabbit lends itself to slow, gentle cooking in order for it to be as tender as possible.

Once the rabbit is cooked through and tender, add the cucumber. With a little knife, simply pierce the skin of the tomatoes (this allows their sweet juices to seep into the sauce while they remain whole) and add to the dish.

Cook for a further 10 minutes - still on a low heat - check the seasoning, add a little salt and pepper. Finally, add the torn basil and remove from the heat and serve.

I like to serve this rabbit with soft, white polenta. It would also be lovely with little boiled potatoes or simply chewy, peasant-style bread.