Braised Leg of Rabbit

Recipes Ingredients:

1-1/2 tbsp. clarified butter
6 rabbit hind legs
salt and pepper, to taste
1-1/2 tbsp. carrots, pared, brunoise
1-1/2 tbsp. celery, brunoise
1-2/3 tbsp. leeks, brunoise
2-1/3 tsp. smoked bacon, brunoise
2-1/3 tsp. reduced tomato stock (see
Roast Garlic Puree recipe)
3 oz. Pinot Noir
5-1/2 oz. rabbit stock
1-1/3 oz. Tomato-Garlic Puree

SACHET
1/2 bay leaf
1 thyme stem
1 tsp. peppercorns, cracked
1 juniper berry, crushed
1 tsp. ginger root, grated
1 tsp. jerk spice

Recipe Instructions:

Place clarified Butter in heavy saute pan; heat to smoke point. Season rabbit legs with salt and pepper; place in smoking butter. Sear quickly until golden. Remove legs; reserve. Discard three-fourths of remaining fat. Add carrots, celery, leeks and bacon; saute. Add reduced tomato stock. Cook, stirring, until Vegetables are browned. De-glaze with Pinot Noir; reduce until almost dry. Add rabbit stock; reduce by half. Pipe tomato-garlic puree onto reserved legs; place in reduced liquid. Position sachet. Cover; braise at 300 degrees F for 25 minutes. Check for tenderness; legs can be braised an additional 15 minutes if necessary. Remove legs. Cover; reserve warm. Remove cooking liquid to saucepan; heat to simmering. Reduce to desired consistency. Degrease; adjust seasoning. Reserve warm. NOTE: Brunoise is the method of cutting Vegetables in a very fine, tiny dice.