Preparation time: 15 min. Total time: 1h15
Ingredients (for 6 people) :
- 1 large wild rabbit (1.4 kg)
- 6 medium cooking apples
- 20 cl crème fraîche
- 50 g butter
- 75 cl raw but fruity cider
- 2 shallots
- 1 bay leaf
- salt, freshly ground pepper
Preparation:
Cut the rabbit into pieces and reserve the liver, heart and kidneys. Peel and core the apples. Peel and chop the shallots.
Melt the butter in a sauté pan. Sauté the rabbit pieces with the whole apples over a high heat until they colour. It's important for the flavor of the sauce that the apples cook with the meat, but add them gradually, removing the first ones when they're almost done. Finish with the giblets.
When the rabbit pieces have browned, remove and set aside the giblets. Add the shallots and bay leaf. Season with salt and pepper. Stir, then moisten with cider. Cover and cook gently over a low heat for half an hour.
Turn the rabbit pieces over from time to time and, if the apples are cooked, remove them immediately and set aside on a plate. Return them at the end of cooking. Add the giblets and cook for a further 10 minutes.
Remove the meat and apples and keep them warm in the serving dish, but leave some of the liver and cooked apple crumbs.
Reduce the cooking juices by three-quarters over high heat. The result is a thick, syrupy, slightly brownish juice. If necessary, blend the sauce with the apple pieces and the piece of liver, or strain the juice and return it to the pan to emulsify the mixture.
Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Add the crème fraîche and wait for it to heat up, stirring slowly until it thickens.
Pour over the rabbit pieces and apples, which are waiting in a warm place, and add the rest of the sauce in a sauceboat. Serve with fresh pasta.
Tips:
Add 2 large pinches of powdered ginger and 1 pinch of cinnamon, or thyme flowers and powdered licorice. At the end of cooking, sprinkle with chopped tarragon or chervil.