australian poached rabbit with bruschetta

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.

Source: Australian Gourmet Traveller July '94