INGREDIENTS

1 cup green seedless grapes 15ml (1 tbsp) olive oil 4 cloves garlic (finely sliced) 25ml {1 tbsp + 2 tsp} vincotto {or half the quantity of balsamic vinegar with 1 tsp brown sugar}

1/4 tsp flaky sea salt pinch freshly ground black pepper Rabbit Confit Rabbit Sauce 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley leaves

METHOD

· Into a saucepan over a low heat place grapes, olive oil and garlic. Very gently cook until softened and grapes begin to release juices. Increase heat to medium and cook liquids until syrupy but without burning the garlic.

· Add vincotto with salt and pepper. Cool.

· Preheat oven to 180°C.

· Into a roasting tray place Rabbit Confit, Rabbit Sauce and grape mixture. Combine. Cover with aluminium foil. Place in oven and heat for 25-30 minutes or until piping hot.

· Remove from oven, remove foil and sprinkle with parsley.

Rabbit Confit INGREDIENTS

1/2 tsp flaky sea salt 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 bay leaf 2 tsp thyme leaves

1 prepared wild rabbit 250g duck fat (melted and cold){substitute with olive oil if duck fat not available} 250ml (1 cup) olive oil {additional to the above}

METHOD

· Place salt, pepper, bay leaf and thyme into mortar and pound with pestle until blended.

· Place rabbit onto a tray and rub with salt mixture. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

· Preheat oven to 150°C. Rinse and dry rabbit.

· Place rabbit into a deep narrow oven proof dish and totally cover with duck fat and olive oil. (You may need more fat or olive oil depending on size of dish.)

· Place into preheated oven and cook for 3 hours or until meat is just about falling off bone.

· Cool. Drain off fat and reserve.

· Strip meat from bones take caring to remove small bones. Reserve all bones to make Rabbit Stock.

Rabbit Sauce

Any leftover sauce or sock make into a wintery soup.

INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp reserved fat from Rabbit Confit 140g ( 1) red onion (diced) 1 stalk celery (diced) 140g (1 medium) carrot (peeled and diced) 1 leek, white part only (diced) 100ml {1/3 cup + 1 tbsp} verjuice or dry white wine

1 bouquet garni {sage, rosemary and bay leaf tied} 45 ml {3 tbsp} Dijon mustard 1 litres (4 cups) Rabbit Stock 20g {2 tbsp} butter (softened) 14g {2 tbsp} flour

METHOD

· Into a large saucepan placed on medium heat melt fat. Add onion, celery, carrot and leek. Cook for 8-10 minutes until lightly golden.

· Add verjuice, bouquet garni, mustard and Rabbit Stock to saucepan. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until vegetables are tender.

· Place butter and flour into a bowl and mix to a paste. Drop a teaspoonful at a time into the simmering sauce and stir to thicken sauce. Simmer for 5 minutes to cook out flour.

· Cool sauce. Refrigerate for up to two days.

Rabbit Stock INGREDIENTS

reserved bones from Rabbit Confit 100ml {1/3 cup + 1 tbsp} verjuice {or dry white wine} 1 tbsp reserved fat from Rabbit Confit 90g ( 1 small) onion (sliced) 140g ( 1 medium) carrot (peeled and roughly chopped)

1 stalk celery (roughly chopped) 1 small leek (white part and some green) (roughly sliced) 1 garlic clove {chopped} 1 bouquet garni {sage, thyme and bay leaf tied} 1l (4 cups) chicken stock liquid

METHOD

· Preheat oven to 160°C.

· Place rabbit bones into a roasting tray, place in oven and cook for 30-40 minutes or until lightly golden.

· Remove from oven and place bones into a stockpot. Pour off excess fat from roasting tray and set tray over medium heat. Add verjuice to tray and scrape up any browning on tray. Add liquid to stockpot.

· In another pot set over a medium heat melt fat. Add onion, carrot, leek and garlic. Cook for 5-8 minutes or until lightly golden.

· Add vegetables to stockpot with bouquet garni and chicken stock. Set over a medium heat. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 1.25 hours.

· Strain, reserving stock and discarding bones and vegetables. Cool stock and refrigerate for up to three days or freeze for up to 3 months.