Title: Saddle of Rabbit with Leeks and Rosemary
Categories: Game, Masterchefs, Frisco, Lec
Yield: 2 servings

————————MARINADE, RABBIT, AND SAUCE————————
3 lb Rabbit, use only the 2 tb Butter
— saddle section ** 1 1/3 c Wine, white
1 sm Carrot 1 c Stock, rabbit OR
1/2 md Onion 1 c Bouillon, chicken
1 ea Celery, stalk 1 md Tomato, sliced
1 ea Garlic, clove, crushed Salt (to taste)
2 ea Rosemary, fresh, sprigs Pepper (to taste)
1 tb Oil, olive

———————————–LEEKS———————————–
2 md Leeks Salt (to taste)
1 tb Butter

** The “saddle of a rabbit” is the rabbit’s back from the first rib
to the beginning of the legs.

Marinade:
=========

Put the saddle of the rabbit in a small bowl with 1 cup of white wine
and 1 sprig of rosemary. Chop the carrot, onion, celery, and garlic add
them to the marinade. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and store in the
refrigerator for 24 – 48 hours. (The longer the better for the flavor of
the rabbit meat.)

Rabbit:
=======

Preheat your oven to 450 F.

Remove the rabbit from the marinade and dry with a cloth. Salt and
pepper the rabbit.

In a medium roasting pan, add 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon
of olive oil. Heat the mixture until the butter sizzles.

Place the rabbit in the pan, skin side up, and brown. Turn, wrapping
flaps around the filet to protect it, and cook until light brown. Place
the pan in the 450 F oven and cook for 10 minutes, until medium rare.
Baste often.

Add the vegetables from the marinade to the pan with the rabbit and
cook for another 5 minutes, basting and turning occasionally.

Remove the rabbit from the pan and place it aside in a warm location.
Trim the saddle flaps from the rabbit and chop the flaps coarsely.

Sauce:
======

Return the chopped flaps to the pan with the vegetables. On the stove
top, saute briefly and skim the fat.

Deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup of wine, add the rabbit stock and reduce
by one-half.

Add the tomato and saute while stirring. Strain the hot mixture
through a sieve, reserving the liquid (for sauce) and discarding the
vegetables. Add the butter to the liquid and whisk until smooth.

Leeks:
======

Julienne the leeks. Rinse in cold water and drain well.

In a medium saute pan, add 1 tablespoon butter and leeks. Cook slowly
for 2 – 5 minutes. Leeks should remain crisp. Adjust the seasonings and
set the leeks aside in a warm place.

Assembly:
=========

Remove the filet of rabbit from the saddle. Cut the saddle bone
crosswise and place one section on each of two plates. Surround the
saddle bones with leeks.

Cut the filet of rabbit into very thin slices lengthwise. Fan slices
on top of the leeks.

Cover with sauce, garnish with sprigs of rosemary. Serve immediately.

Source: Great Chefs of San Francisco, Avon Books, 1984

Chef: Max Schacher, Le Coquelicot, Ross, Marin County, CA

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