Recipe - Pan-Roasted Rabbit With Fresh Herbs

1 Rabbit (3 to 4 pounds)

MARINADE
1/3 cup Brandy
One fourth cup Wine, red, dry
2 tablespoon Oil, olive, extravirgin
4 Garlic, cloves, crushed
2 Thyme, sprigs OR
One half teaspoon Thyme, dried
3 Savory, winter, sprigs OR
One half teaspoon Savory, dried
2 Rosemary, sprigs OR
One fourth teaspoon Rosemary, dried
2 Marjoram, sprigs OR
One fourth teaspoon Marjoram, dried
1 teaspoon Oregano, fresh OR
One half teaspoon Oregano, dried
5 Bay, leaves, crumbled
3 tablespoon Juniper, berries, crushed
One half cup Oil, olive, extravirgin
Salt (to taste)
Pepper (to taste)
1 cup Wine, white, dry
2 cup Stock, chicken, dark **
8 Garlic, cloves, peeled
1 tablespoon Oil, olive, extravirgin
Three fourths teaspoon Arrowroot OR
Three fourths teaspoon Cornstarch
1 tablespoon Water, cold
1 One half tablespoon Brandy
Roast Beef Puree **
Spinach ***
Beet Greens ***

** See recipes for Brown Chicken Stock and Roast Beef Puree.

*** Blanch 1 One half pounds of fresh spinach, stems removed, and
reserved greens from 4 beets. Drain, rinse under cold water and
squeeze out all of the liquid. Toss the greens in a skillet over
mediumhigh beat with 2 tablespoons of butter and until heated
through. Season with salt.

To Marinate:
============

You can do this yourself, or you can ask your butcher to cut up your
rabbit as follows: forelegs left whole, hind legs cut into 3 pieces each
(lower joint; thigh cut diagonally into 2 pieces), rib section cut into 3
pieces, loin cut into 3 pieces, neck left whole. At least 2 days before
serving, place the rabbit in a shallow glass or enamel pan and add
marinade ingredients. Turn rabbit pieces over to coat. Marinate,
covered, in refrigerator, turning occasionally.

Preheat you oven to 325 F. Remove the rabbit from the marinade. In a
heavy large skillet, heat about One fourth cup of olive oil over mediumhigh
heat. Add half of the rabbit pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Saute, turning pieces once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer
to ovenproof casserole. Discard fat from skillet and add One half cup of
white wine, scraping up all of the browned bits in the pan. Boil for 2
minutes and add the liquids out of the skillet to the casserole. Repeat
the procedure, browning the remaining rabbit, deglazing and adding rabbit
and liquid to the casserole.

Bring the brown chicken stock to a boil; skim, if necessary, and pour
it into the casserole (liquid should not quite cover meat). Place the
casserole, partially covered, in the lower third of the oven. After 50
minutes, check the forelegs, racks and loins. If they are tender, remove
them. Continue cooking until all of the remaining pieces are tender, 1 to
1 One half hours total cooking time (timing can vary depending on size and
tenderness of the rabbit). Transfer to serving plates and keep warm.

Meanwhile, blanch the garlic in boiling salted water for 30 seconds;
drain. Blanch again for 30 seconds, drain. Place in a small skillet with
1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute over high heat for 1 minute.

Place the skillet in the oven until the garlic is golden, 25 to 30
minutes. Cut each clove into 3 or 4 pieces; set aside.

When the rabbit is tender, place the skillet with cooking liquid over
high heat and boil until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Skim all of
the fat from the surface. In a small cup, stir together the arrowroot and
water; whisk the mixture into the reduced cooking liquid and return to a
boil. Add brandy, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and skim again
if necessary. Stir in the reserved garlic pieces, and pour over the
rabbit.

Serve your rabbit with Roast Beef Puree, spinach and beet greens.

Source: New York's Master Chefs, Bon Appetit Magazine
: Written by Richard Sax, Photographs by Nancy McFarland
: The Knapp Press, Los Angeles, 1985

Chef: Leslie Revsin, One Fifth Avenue Restaurant, New York

File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmgcny.zip