Rabbit with chocolate — Spain

Rabbit with chocolate is a braised rabbit dish from Catalonia in which pieces of rabbit are simmered in a dark sauce thickened at the end with a ground paste, or picada, of toasted almonds, pine nuts and grated dark chocolate. The chocolate is used in small quantity, mainly to deepen the colour and round out the sauce with a slightly bitter note rather than to sweeten the dish. The preparation is reported from Catalonia and nearby areas of eastern Spain, appearing in home kitchens and small rural restaurants that draw on regional game cooking. It is said to belong to a broader family of Catalan sauces that pair meat with small amounts of chocolate, spices or dried fruit, a combination that has long been part of festive and Sunday cooking in the region. To prepare it, the rabbit is cut into pieces, seasoned and browned in oil, then set aside while onion and garlic are softened in the same pan. Tomato and a splash of white wine or brandy are added, the rabbit returns to the pot, and everything simmers gently until the meat is tender. Toward the end of cooking, a picada made by grinding fried almonds, pine nuts, a little bread and grated chocolate is stirred into the sauce, which is then simmered briefly longer to thicken and bind. Home cooks vary the amount of chocolate used, and some prefer a higher cacao content for a more bitter edge while others use less for a milder sauce. The rabbit liver is sometimes added to the picada for extra body, cinnamon or a bay leaf is added by some cooks, and the sauce can be left thinner or reduced further depending on how it will be served, often with bread or potatoes to soak it up.