Name: Sweet Envy’s rabbit with romesco crust
Prep time: 50 min
Cook time: 330 min
Total time: 380 min
Yield: 8
Ingredients: 40 ml olive oil; 2 rabbits (about 1.4kg each), legs and loins removed, bones broken up with a cleaver; 6 flat-leaf parsley stalks; 2 fresh bay leaves; 500 ml chicken stock (2 cups); 1 each onion and carrot, finely chopped; 1 garlic clove, finely chopped; 3 thyme sprigs; 110 gm softened butter; 60 gm plain flour; Romesco crust; 3 red capsicum; 4 garlic cloves, halved; 6 thyme sprigs; 50 ml olive oil; 200 gm crustless sourdough bread, coarsely torn; 50 gm slivered almonds; Carrot purée; 1.5 litres milk (6 cups); 8 carrots, coarsely chopped; 6 thyme sprigs; 80 gm butter, coarsely chopped

“This is one on my favourite winter eats, but we also love to make it at Sweet Envy during Easter as a bit of a giggle,” says Wise. “When customers ask about our Easter selection, it always gets a laugh.” If you don’t have a gas stove, you can char the capsicum on a baking tray in a hot oven.

Ingredients

40 ml olive oil

2 rabbits (about 1.4kg each), legs and loins removed, bones broken up with a cleaver

6 flat-leaf parsley stalks

2 fresh bay leaves

500 ml chicken stock (2 cups)

1 each onion and carrot, finely chopped

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

3 thyme sprigs

110 gm softened butter

60 gm plain flour

Romesco crust

3 red capsicum

4 garlic cloves, halved

6 thyme sprigs

50 ml olive oil

200 gm crustless sourdough bread, coarsely torn

50 gm slivered almonds

Carrot purée

1.5 litres milk (6 cups)

8 carrots, coarsely chopped

6 thyme sprigs

80 gm butter, coarsely chopped

Method

Main

1.Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over high heat, add rabbit bones and stir occasionally until well browned (8-10 minutes). Add parsley, bay leaves and 1.25 litres water (or enough to cover), bring to the simmer, reduce heat to medium and simmer until well flavoured (2 hours). Strain and set aside.

2.Heat remaining oil in a casserole over medium-high heat, add rabbit legs and cook, turning once, until browned (4-5 minutes). Add rabbit stock, chicken stock, onion, carrot and garlic, season to taste, cover with a lid, reduce heat to low and simmer gently until rabbit is very tender (1½-2 hours). Meanwhile, combine rabbit loins with thyme and 50gm butter in a snap-lock bag and season to taste. Seal bag, extracting all air, and add to casserole for last 15 minutes of cooking.

3.For romesco crust, preheat oven to 180C. Char capsicum over an open flame (10-15 minutes), then, when cool enough to handle, peel, remove seeds, coarsely tear and place in a roasting pan. Add garlic and thyme, drizzle with oil, season to taste and roast until dried (20-25 minutes). Transfer to a food processor, add bread and pulse until coarse crumbs form. Season to taste, stir in almonds and set aside.

4.Remove loins from snap-lock bag, coarsely shred and place in a bowl. Remove legs from braising liquid, coarsely shred (discard skin, bones and sinew) and add to bowl. Strain braising liquid and liquid from snap-lock bag into a large saucepan, bring to the boil over medium-high heat and reduce to 700ml (20-25 minutes). Stir flour and remaining butter in a bowl to a smooth paste, add to pan and whisk continuously until thick. Season to taste, pour over rabbit meat, stir to combine, then transfer to a 3-litre pie dish. Reduce oven to 160C. Scatter rabbit mixture with romesco crust mixture, place dish on an oven tray and bake until rabbit is bubbling around edges and crust is golden (40-50 minutes).

5. Meanwhile, for carrot purée, bring milk, carrot and thyme to the simmer in a saucepan over medium-high heat, reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender (40-50 minutes). Remove carrots with a slotted spoon, transfer to a blender, add butter, blend until very smooth, season to taste and serve hot with rabbit pie.

This recipe is from the June 2012 issue of .
Notes

Alistair Wise

Styling by Emma Knowles

Ingredients

Method

Main

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