Another (Rabbits en Matelote)

Ingredients

• 2 whole rabbits rabbit (Ask your butcher to joint them into pieces if preferred for easier serving.)
• 2 slices bacon (Use as many slices as there are rabbits — so 2 slices. Streaky or back bacon both work.)
• 0.5 pint (approx. 280 ml) stock (Chicken or vegetable stock works well. Use a good quality stock for best flavour.)
• 24 whole small onions small onions (Pickling onions or shallots are ideal. Peel them but keep whole.)
• 1 handful mushrooms (Button or chestnut mushrooms work well. Wipe clean and halve if large.)
• 1 sheet greaseproof paper or baking parchment (Cut to fit the top of the stewpan. This is used as a cartouche to keep moisture in while simmering.)
• 0.5 lemon lemon (Use only the juice. Roll the lemon on the counter before cutting to get more juice out.)
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper (Add to taste — cayenne is hot, so start with a small pinch.)
• 1 pinch sugar (Just a little to balance the acidity of the lemon. White granulated sugar is fine.)

Instructions

1. 1Place the two rabbits into a large, heavy-based stewpan or casserole dish. Lay the bacon slices over or around them. Pour in the half pint (approx. 280 ml) of stock. Add the 24 peeled small onions and the mushrooms. Make sure everything is spread out as evenly as possible so it cooks uniformly.
2. 2Cut a sheet of greaseproof paper or baking parchment to fit snugly inside the stewpan, resting directly on top of the ingredients. This is called a cartouche and helps trap steam and moisture. Place the lid on top of the paper if your pan has one. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, then reduce to low and simmer for one hour. Check occasionally to make sure it is not boiling too hard — you want a gentle, slow simmer with small bubbles only.
3. 3Once the rabbit has simmered for one hour and is cooked through and tender, carefully remove the rabbit pieces using tongs or a slotted spoon and lay them on a warm serving dish. Cover loosely with foil or another piece of greaseproof paper to keep them warm while you finish the sauce.
4. 4With the rabbit removed, look at the cooking liquid remaining in the pan. Use a large spoon to skim off any fat that has risen to the surface — tilt the pan slightly to pool the fat at one side and scoop it away. Then increase the heat to medium-high and let the liquid reduce, stirring occasionally, until it thickens considerably and becomes nearly glaze-like in consistency. This means it should coat the back of a spoon and look shiny. This will take roughly 8–12 minutes depending on how much liquid remains.
5. 5Once the liquor has reduced nearly to a glaze, let it come up to a full boil briefly — just 30 to 60 seconds. Watch it carefully as a glaze can burn quickly at this stage.
6. 6Take the pan off the heat. Cut the half lemon and squeeze its juice directly into the glaze in the pan. Be careful of any pips — hold your hand or a small sieve over the pan to catch them. Stir the lemon juice into the glaze.
7. 7Add a pinch of cayenne pepper and a pinch of sugar to the glaze in the pan. Stir well to combine. Taste the glaze carefully — it should be rich, tangy, slightly sweet, and have a mild warmth from the cayenne. Adjust the cayenne or sugar if needed, but remember the original recipe calls for only a little of each.
8. 8Pour the finished glaze evenly over the rabbit on the serving dish, making sure the onions and mushrooms from the pan are also spooned over the top. Serve immediately while hot.