Roast Rabbit With Stuffing

Ingredients

• 1 (4 lb)  rabbit, cleaned, washed and dried
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sage
• 1 teaspoon fennel seed, ground
• 1 teaspoon salt

Stuffing

• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup rice, rinsed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 cup almonds, toasted blanched
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 teaspoon rosemary
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
• basting juice
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 teaspoon thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/4 cup cooking oil
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Directions

1. 1

   Rub the rabbit inside and out with a mixture of the lemon juice, fennel, sage, salt and pepper. Then refrigerate for at least two hours. In the meantime, prepare the stuffing.

2. 2

   Melt butter in a saucepan. Add rice, then stirfy for a minute. Sir in water, salt, rosemary, pepper, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom. Cover and bring to a boil, then allow to simmer over medium/low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in almonds and onions, then set aside for stuffing.

3. 3

   In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for the basting juice and set aside.

4. 4

   Stuff rabbit, then sew closed. Place in a roasting pan with 1 cup water, then baste generously. Cover, then place in a 350 degree F. preheated oven. Roast for an hour, basting lavishly every 20 minutes. Remove pan cover, then cook and continue basting, using pan juices if basting juice is finished, for another hour or until meat turns tender. If rabbit is not brown, broil for a few minutes. Serve piping hot.

5. 5

   Note: If you use wild rabbit, clean and wash it while wearing gloves. If animal is diseased this will ensure that the cook will not catch the disease. Roasting will kill any bacteria making the rabbit safe to eat. Also, to eliminate the wild taste, soak the cleaned animal for at least two hours in a cup of vinegar mixed with enough water to cover the rabbit.