Wash and pat the rabbit dry, then season with salt and pepper. Place it in a roasting dish and sprinkle lightly with fresh or dried thyme. Lay slices of butter on top. Arrange whole heads of garlic around the rabbit, just removing the outer papery skin. Pour in a cup of water.

Cover the roasting dish with a lid and roast in an oven preheated to 150 °C until tender. Once the meat is tender, remove the lid, raise the temperature to 200 °C and roast for a few more minutes until the surface turns crisp. While the rabbit is roasting, cook the pearl barley in water until tender.

Take a large, deep frying pan and sauté the finely chopped shallot in a little butter. Cut the green asparagus in half. Chop the firmer bottom halves into small pieces and add them to the pan with the shallot. Fry together for about five minutes.