Stuffed and Roasted Rabbit Leg and Saddle

From Restaurant Matisse, 512 Yates St., Victoria (read the full article Rabbit Food by Simon Natrass in the January/February 2014 issue).
1 rabbit (ask your butcher to debone hind legs and saddle)
Note: Slater’s will cut rabbit into pieces, but will not debone for you.

Stuffing:
4 links fresh sausage (bratwurst or boudin blanc), casings removed
Note: Choose a lightly seasoned sausage to avoid competing with the flavour of the rabbit.
2 tsp toasted ground fennel seed

2 tsp chopped fennel fronds
1 tsp Pernod or brandy
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce:
½ cup beer of choice
¼ tsp chopped garlic
1 cup dark chicken stock
1 tsp chopped herbs (savoury, thyme)
½ tsp Dijon mustard

Preheat oven to 325F.

Mix all stuffing ingredients together and place in piping bag. Fill cavity of legs and saddle of rabbit. Wrap rabbit tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours.

Remove wrap and tie with twine.

Heat some oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Season rabbit and brown on all sides. Roast in oven for 25 minutes, basting occasionally.

Remove rabbit and let rest 6 minutes.

Deglaze pan with beer (of choice), and reduce by half. Add dark chicken stock, garlic, herbs and mustard. Reduce.

Untie and slice rabbit, divide into 4 portions. Sauce and serve.

Rabbit available from:

Gill-Power Hobby Farm, $6.50/lb, 2124 Millicent Ave., Shawnigan Lake

Slaters Meats, $10/lb, frozen (they get it from a farm in Durrance Lake or frozen from Quebec)