How to skin a rabbit

First, trap, shoot or otherwise kill your rabbit.

Lay the rabbit on its back on a flat surface and pinch the skin at the loose part in lower belly. Cut a small hole in the skin with a sharp knife, being careful not to puncture the stomach lining.

Pull apart the skin and tear all the way around the rabbit. If you haven’t the strength, then cut right around. (If you’ve paunched the rabbit in the field, simply extend the opening you’ve already made.)

Using the loosened edges, grasp the halves of the skin firmly in the centre of the belly and pull the skin very hard both ways until the front and back legs are free of the skin. (It’s a bit like pulling off a very tight rubber glove.)

Cut off the head and snap the lower part of all four legs to remove the feet. Next, cut through the groin to remove the intestine and anus, then cut a ‘V’ into the flesh where tails joins to remove the tail.

Taking care not to cut the intestines, cut the stomach lining and remove the guts. Check the liver and other internal organs for signs of white patches or spots or, more unusually, growths. If you find any discard the rabbit.

Retain the liver, heart and kidneys, then discard the remainder of the innards. Rinse the insides out with clean, cold water and do a final check to ensure the rabbit is thoroughly clean inside.

To get the best flavour soak the rabbit in salted water with a little vinegar splashed in it for about six hours or overnight.

Then use your favourite recipe for rabbit…