1 large rabbit fryer (about 3-1/2 lb.) cut into 6 pieces (reserve liver)

Salt and freshly ground pepper

2 tsp. finely chopped shallots or green onions

1 C. dry white wine

1 C. chicken stock

1 branch fresh tarragon, about 4 inches long

2 bay leaves

4 oz. pancetta (unsmoked Italian-style bacon that can be found at specialty markets, or substitute blanched salt pork), cut into 1/4-inch cubes

6 oz. pearl onions, blanched, trimmed and peeled

4 oz. mushrooms, trimmed, cleaned and sliced

2 tsp. Dijon mustard

1 tsp. chopped fresh tarragon leaves, plus additional for garnish

1 tsp. chopped Italian parsley

 

In a medium flame-proof casserole or Dutch oven, melt 2 tsp. butter over medium-high heat. Add the rabbit pieces and brown on all sides, removing the pieces to a plate in a warm spot as they brown. Salt and pepper to taste. Add another tsp. of butter to the pot, add the shallots and sauté until translucent. Add the wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spatula. Add the chicken stock, the branch of tarragon and the bay leaves. Return rabbit pieces to pan, bring the liquid to a simmer and braise, covered, for 25 to 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a sauté pan over medium-low heat, melt 1 tsp. butter and add pancetta. Cook slowly, stirring frequently, until very lightly browned. Remove to drain on paper towels. Discard fat from pan and add 1 tsp. of butter. Add pearl onions and cook, covered, over medium-low heat until tender. This will take about 20 minutes. Set aside in a warm spot. In another sauté pan, melt 1 tsp. butter. Add mushrooms and cook gently over medium heat until the mushrooms have reabsorbed their juices. Add the mushrooms to the pan with the pearl onions. In the pan that the mushrooms were cooked in, melt remaining 1 tsp. butter. Season the liver with salt and pepper and sauté briefly, about 2 minutes on each side. Keep warm. When the rabbit is done, remove the rabbit pieces from the casserole and hold, covered, in a warm place. Discard the bay leaves and the tarragon branch. Whisk in mustard and boil rapidly until the braising liquid is reduced to a sauce-like consistency. Adjust seasoning. Reduce the heat to low. Add the pancetta, pearl onions, and mushrooms to the casserole and stir to combine. Add the rabbit pieces back to the casserole and turn to coat evenly with the sauce. Ladle some of the sauce on the liver to coat and slice into four pieces. Place the rabbit pieces and the liver on a platter and spoon the sauce around. This is a delightful dish for spring, made with morels and served with egg noodles and asparagus or fiddlehead ferns. A variation we do for summer substitutes basil or summer savory for the tarragon and is served with new potatoes, tiny green beans and yellow and red cherry tomatoes. In the fall, try using chanterelle mushrooms and thyme accompanied by puréed root vegetables.

 

 

 

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