Roasted Bacon Wrapped Rabbit Food

ROASTED BACON-WRAPPED RABBIT

Steps:

• Put everything except the bacon in a sealable plastic bag. Seal the bag, shake to distribute the seasonings and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.
• Thirty minutes before dinner, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Quickly rinse the spices off the rabbit with cold water. Blot the pieces completely dry with paper towels, then blot the bacon dry. Wrap each rabbit piece in a slice of bacon and place them seam-side down on a rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow roasting pan or a large ovenproof skillet. (The flat pieces below the rabbit's ribs, known as the flap, can be rolled up and then wrapped.) Roast until the bacon crisps and the rabbit is no longer pink, 25 to 30 minutes. It is impossible to imagine this as anything other than finger food (maybe with some roasted potatoes).

ROAST BACON

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Lay the bacon on a sheet pan and bake for 15 to 20 minutes until the bacon is really crispy. Dry on paper towels and serve.

RABBIT WITH MUSTARD & BACON

Steps:

• Mash the butter with the herbs, garlic and lemon zest, then chill. This can be done up to a day in advance. Use a small sturdy knife to scrape the meat away from the thigh bone part of the rabbit leg. Try and create a pocket around the bone rather than cutting into the actual meat. When you get to the joint, cut or snap the bone away.
• Halve the butter, roll into two logs, then stuff into the cavity of each rabbit leg. Wrap the slices of pancetta around each leg so that they join underneath. The rabbit can be prepared up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge.
• Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Place the rabbit on a shallow roasting tray and roast for 20-30 mins (see tip below), then leave to rest for 5 mins. While the rabbit is cooking, make the sauce. Heat the crème fraîche with both mustards and simmer for 2-3 mins until thickened slightly. Season to taste, then add a squeeze of lemon juice and set aside.
• To serve, spoon some sauce onto each plate and carve the rabbit into thick slices. Arrange the rabbit on top of the sauce with some steamed new potatoes on the side.