Rabbit with spring vegetables and morel mushrooms

Method

• step 1

  Heat the oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof pan. Season the rabbit well, then fry the rabbit pieces, one or two pieces at a time, in the hot oil until golden brown, then remove. (Leave the liver and kidneys aside if you have them.)

• step 2

  Add the onion, garlic, leek, thyme, rosemary, bay leaf and morels and gently fry for 5 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by at least two thirds, then add the cream and chicken stock, and bring to the boil. Add the legs and shoulders of the rabbit, season and reduce to a simmer. Cover and transfer to the oven and cook for 15 minutes. Then add the pieces from the saddle and cook for a further 10 minutes, until cooked through. (To check if the rabbit is cooked, remove one of the larger pieces of leg and see if the meat can be separated from the bone; if it can’t, give it a few minutes longer until it is tender enough.)

• step 3

  Lower the oven to 160C/fan 140C/gas 3. To finish the sauce, transfer the meat and mushrooms to a clean pan, cover with a lid and keep warm. Reduce the sauce on the hob until it thickens, and season. Sieve the sauce and pour over the meat.

• step 4

  To serve, blanch the baby carrot and leeks in boiling salted water for 3-5 minutes until tender, and drain. Return the rabbit pan to the heat, lay the veg in the pan, cover with the lid and simmer.While the rabbit is warming, season the liver and kidneys, then fry in a little oil for 3 minutes per side, and use to decorate the dish. Serve the rabbit and sauce with fresh pasta and broccoli.