Recipe#25235

Title: AUSTRALIAN POACHED RABBIT WITH BRUSCHETTA

From: BobbieB1@aol.com 
Date: Sun, 28 Apr 1996 00:19:27 -0400 
Source: Australian Gourmet Traveller July '94

Yield: 4 servings
 
      1 ea Spanish onion, peeled and
           -sliced
      2 ea Stalks of celery, chopped
      2 sm Carrots, chopped
      2 ea Sprigs of thyme
      2 ea Bay leaves
     12 ea Black peppercorns
      1 ea Rabbit
      2 ea Cloves of garlic, quartered
     16 sm Fresh sage leaves
  2 1/2 c  Extra virgin olive oil
      1 ea Crusty Italian ring loaf of
           -bread (preferably day-old)
           -Mesclun, to serve
           Lemon wedges (optional), to
           -serve
 
  Bring 6 liters of salted water to the boil in a large saucepan.  Add
  onion, celery, carrot, herbs and peppercorns and return to the boil.
  Skim surface. Add rabbit and return to the boil.  Reduce heat to
  lowest setting, cover and simmer very gently for 1 hour, or until
  rabbit is tender. Remove from heat and cool rabbit in cooking liquid.
  Remove rabbit from liquid, strip meat from bones and place it in a
  single layer on a plate or tray. Season meat generously with salt and
  freshly ground black pepper.
  
  Return bones to cooking liquid and boil again to make stock to freeze
  for another purpose, if desired.
  
  Transfer rabbit to a bowl.  Add garlic, sage and oil just to cover.
  Using your hands, mix ingredients to combine, then cover and
  refrigerate for 48 hours.
  
  Cut bread into 1cm-thick slices and brush both sides with remaining
  oil combined with 1 teaspoon sea salt. Place in a single layer on a
  rack on an oven tray and bake at 150C for 30 minutes, or until pale
  golden.  Using a slotted spoon, remove rabbit from oil, and serve at
  room temperature with warm bruschetta, mesclun and lemon wedges, if
  desired.