Roast Rabbit with Shallots and Garlic
·Season the meat
Season the rabbit, or rabbit legs, with salt and pepper on all sides and inside as well. Feel free to season to your own taste.
Prepare the shallots and garlic
Peel the shallots and cut them in half. Leave the garlic unpeeled, just remove any dry, papery outer layers.
Into the roasting dish
Place the rabbit in a roasting dish, arrange the shallots and unpeeled garlic cloves around it, and sprinkle over the thyme. Pour in about 150 ml of water and cover with a lid.
Roasting
Roast in an oven preheated to 170°C for about an hour, though this depends on the size of the rabbit. Every so often, open the oven and baste the rabbit with its own juices. Once the meat is cooked through, pour the cream over everything in the dish and return it to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
Preparing the mushrooms
Start on the mushrooms once you've put the meat with cream back into the oven — that's plenty of time. Slice them thinly and tip them into a pan with melted butter. Fry until nicely browned and slightly crisp. Season with salt, pepper and thyme.
Herb gnocchi
Potato gnocchi make the perfect side dish — simply add them to a hot pan with a little oil and fry until crisp. Take off the heat and toss through some chopped fresh herbs.
