INGREDIENTS
1 whole rabbit (substitute: chicken)
Vegetable oil (for searing)
6 whole cloves of garlic
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 bottle of aromatic white wine (gewurtztraminer or riesling), or preferably Joie Rosé
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup crème fraiche (or sour cream)
2 tbsp grainy Dijon mustard
1 tbsp finely chopped thyme leaves
1 lemon, zested
100 g pancetta, thinly sliced

Cut the rabbit into 4 parts (2 front leg sections and 2 rear leg sections; reserve carcass and neck for stock (recipe follows). Remove the 2 loins from the rabbit, carefully preserving some of the belly flap for rolling.

Season rabbit legs with salt and pepper. Heat a cast iron frying pan over medium-high, add about 1 tbsp oil and sear until golden on each side. Add the garlic cloves and herbs, and add wine until rabbit is just covered. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer. Lightly tent the pan with foil and braise until tender, about 2 hours. While rabbit is braising, prepare stock (recipe follows). Remove rabbit and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Reserve braising liquid in frying pan.

To make sauce, add stock to frying pan and skim off fat or impurities. Heat over medium until liquid is reduced by half. Add crème fraiche and Dijon and continue to reduce sauce by half again (do not allow sauce to boil). While sauce is reducing, prepare loins. Season rabbit loins with salt, pepper and some chopped thyme. Roll the belly flap around the loin meat, tucking in the short end to form a log, ensuring consistent thickness for even cooking. Lay pancetta slices, overlapping, in a rectangle on wax paper. Place loin on pancetta and fold wax paper over loin. Wrap around rabbit loins by pulling back the waxed paper (like rolling sushi). Sear loins on all sides in 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a cast iron pan over high heat then transfer to a 400 F for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through.

Just before serving, add lemon zest and chopped thyme to sauce, adjust salt and pepper to taste. Remove sauce from heat; keep warm.

Serve over polenta, egg noodles or roasted potatoes, topping your starch of choice with one piece of leg meat and 1”-sliced medallions of loin meat. Spoon sauce over meat and around serving dish.
Makes 4 servings.

Stock
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, skin on, cut into quarters
2 sticks celery, roughly chopped)
1 large carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
2 cloves of garlic
2 bay leaves
1 large spring rosemary
2 sprigs thyme

Cut rabbit carcass into 4 pieces. Heat a cast iron frying pan over medium-high and add oil. Sear the carcass pieces on each side until caramelized and golden. Once caramelized, add vegetables and herbs. Add cold water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer for 30 minutes; do not stir or stock will become cloudy. Strain through a fine mesh strainer.