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| What You Need: |
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1/3 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, cut into 1/8-inch-thick slices
3 whole juniper berries, wrapped in a kitchen towel and crushed with a rolling pin or crushed with a mortar and pestle
1 large bay leaf
½ teaspoon crumbled dried rosemary
1½ teaspoons salt
Freshly ground black pepper
A 5- to 6-pound fresh rabbit or defrosted frozen rabbit, cut into 2- inch-square pieces, or substitute two 2½- to 3-pound fresh or defrosted frozen rabbits, cut in 2-inch-square pieces
2 tablespoons flour
6 slices lean bacon, coarsely chopped
¼ cup finely chopped shallots, or substitute ¼ cup chopped onions
½ cup coarsely chopped celery
6 small carrots, scraped and coarsely chopped
1½ cups chicken stock, fresh or canned
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley
2 small bay leaves
½ cup port
3 tablespoons red currant jelly
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Combine the wine, olive oil, sliced onion, juniper berries, bay leaf, rosemary, ½ teaspoon of the salt and a few grindings of black pepper in a large bowl. Wash the rabbit under cold running water, pat it thoroughly dry with paper towels and place it in the bowl.
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2. Turn the pieces about with a spoon until they are thoroughly coated with the marinade, cover the bowl and marinate the rabbit for at least 6 hours at room temperature, or 12 hours in the refrigerator. In either case, turn the pieces about in the marinade occasionally to keep them well moistened.
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3. Drain the rabbit in a colander set over a bowl. Reserve the liquid, but discard the onion and herbs. Pat the pieces of rabbit completely dry with paper towels, then coat them with the flour, shaking each piece vigorously to remove the excess.
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4. In a heavy 4- to 5-quart flameproof casserole, cook the bacon over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp and brown. With a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain.
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5. Add the rabbit to the fat remaining in the casserole and brown it, turning the pieces with tongs and regulating the heat so that the rabbit colors quickly and evenly on all sides without burning. Transfer the browned rabbit from the casserole to a plate.
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6. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the casserole, add the shallots, celery and carrots, and cook for 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not brown.
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7. Pour in the reserved marinade and the chicken stock and bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile scraping in any brown particles clinging to the bottom and sides of the casserole. Add the thyme, parsley, bay leaves, teaspoon of salt and a few grindings of pepper, and return the rabbit and the bacon to the casserole.
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8. Cover tightly and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour. Stir in the port and currant jelly, cover again, and bake for 30 minutes longer, or until the rabbit is tender but not falling apart. (If you are substituting small rabbits, they may cook much faster. Watch carefully that they do not overcook.) Taste for seasoning.
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9. Serve the rabbit directly from the casserole. It may be accompanied by forcemeat balls.
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