Rabbit Loin Stuffed with Lardo, Walnuts and Rosemary with Rosemary Gin Sauce

Method

1. 01 / Prepare the filling

   Brown the rabbit livers and kidneys in a pan with extra virgin olive oil and butter over a high heat for approximately 5 minutes. Chop the white toastie bread with the lardo, rosemary needles and walnuts, until you get a soft and even filling.

2. 02 / Prepare the stuffed rabbit

   If you do not have the manual skills or the time, have the saddles of rabbit boned by your trusted butcher. Spread the thinly sliced lardo on a sheet of baking paper to facilitate the tying up process. Place the boneless rabbit on the lardo and stuff with the filling, spreading it evenly. Add the browned livers and kidneys which have been cut into small pieces. Roll the rabbit with the lardo, compacting it well with your hands. Tie the rabbit with food twine.

3. 03 / Cook the rabbit

   Heat up the pan over a medium heat, add extra virgin olive oil, butter and a sprig of rosemary. Do not salt the meat, the lardo inside the filling and that used to wrap the rabbit is already sufficient. Brown the rabbit turning it on all sides, without piercing it with forks and pointed tools so as not to disperse the juices. Once the meat is evenly browned, lower the heat and let it cook for approximately 20 minutes. Keep an eye on the rabbit while cooking, if it gets dry you can cover it with a lid. As an alternative to cooking in a pan, you can cook the rabbit in the oven at 220°C for approximately 20 minutes. Whether you choose cooking in a pan or in the oven, then rest the roast rabbit out of the pot, covered with aluminium foil for approximately 10 minutes. The meat then relaxes after cooking and the juices are distributed evenly inside the roast meat.

4. 04 / Prepare the side potatoes

   Cut the potatoes into cubes of approximately 2 cm and cook them in boiling water for 1 minute. This “blanching” process allows the potatoes to cook without sticking to the bottom of the pan and to obtain a crispy crust. Drain the potatoes, dry them and place them in a pan, over a medium heat, with the extra virgin olive oil, butter, rosemary and a clove of unpeeled garlic. Cook them until they are well browned but soft inside.

5. 05 / Prepare the sauce for the loin

   Prepare the sauce with the pan sauce from the roast meat, starting to put the fat in the pan. Put the pan back on the heat over a low heat, pour in the rosemary gin and, if you want a stronger taste, add the meat extract. Emulsify with cold butter and taste the flavour, adding salt and pepper if needed. Cook the sauce for a few minutes, until it thickens a little and is not too liquid.

6. 06 / Finish the prep

   Cut the roast rabbit into slices. Check that the meat has remained succulent: rabbit loin is a rather lean meat, suitable for quick cooking and must remain pink. Place the crispy potatoes and the rabbit slices on the plate and top with the sauce.