Orecchiette with braised rabbit and Swiss chard

Begin by making the orecchiette. Place the water, semolina and flour into a mixing bowl and bring together into a dough. Tip out on to a work surface and knead for around 10 minutes, until the dough is smooth, then wrap in cling film and refrigerate for 1 hour

After 1 hour, roll out the dough until around 1cm thick, then cut into 1cm cubes. Scatter some semolina onto a tray or plate and set aside. Take a cube and, using your thumb or a butter knife, scrape the dough against the work surface with a good amount of pressure so it curls up, then turn it inside out over your finger to create a shape that resembles a little ear. Place the orecchiette on the tray dusted with semolina, convex-side up. Repeat with the remaining cubes, then leave them uncovered at room temperature to dry out for around an hour

Meanwhile, prepare the rabbit. Preheat an oven to 170°C/gas mark 3½ and place a wide frying pan over a medium heat. Season the rabbit legs and shoulders well with salt, then add a drizzle of olive oil to the pan and sear them all over for around 2-3 minutes each side until lightly browned all over. Transfer the rabbit to a deep baking tray or casserole dish

Add the roughly chopped vegetables, garlic cloves, bay leaves and thyme to the same pan with a little more oil and gently fry over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, until they just begin to brown. Pour in the wine, simmer for a few minutes to cook off the alcohol, then pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil

Once boiling, pour the contents of the pan into the tray or dish of rabbit. Place a sheet of baking paper on top, then wrap very tightly in foil. Transfer to the oven and cook for 1 hour

Meanwhile, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil. Strip the chard leaves from their stalks, then blanch the leaves for 1 minute. Drain and immediately transfer the leaves to iced water to refresh, then drain again, squeeze the leaves to drain any excess water and roughly chop. Set aside

After 1 hour, remove the tray from the oven and transfer the rabbit to a plate and leave to cool slightly. Once cool enough to handle, roughly shred the meat from the bones and set aside. Strain the braising liquid into a clean pan, discarding the vegetables

Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil for the pasta. While you wait, add a few ladlefuls of the strained stock into a sauté pan with the shredded rabbit meat. Gently heat through over a low-medium heat and add the butter, lemon zest and plenty of black pepper

Cook the pasta in the boiling water for 3-5 minutes, until al dente. Lift them out with a slotted spoon and add the orecchiette directly to the rabbit sauce with the chard, tossing vigorously to combine. The sauce should thicken and coat the pasta evenly – if it becomes too thick, you can add a little more stock