Braised Wild Rabbit Legs with Buttermilk and Cherries

Ingredients

• 4 wild rabbit legs (about 450 g each, hollowed out by the butcher)
• 2 carrots
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 0.5 tsp gingerbread spice
• 2 onions
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 1 tbsp Tomato Paste
• 200 ml dry red wine
• 400 ml game stock
• 200 ml Buttermilk
• 1 bay leaf
• 300 g cherry juice
• 1 tbsp powdered sugar
• 100 ml port wine
• 100 ml cherry juice
• 1 tbsp Cornstarch
• 100 ml heavy cream
• 1 tbsp cold butter

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 120°C (250°F) with upper and lower heat.

2. 2.

   Wash and pat dry the rabbit legs. Peel the carrots and cut them crosswise into halves; insert them into the hollowed-out legs. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine. Rub the meat with salt, pepper, and gingerbread spice, then dust with flour. Quickly sear in hot oil on all sides, then remove.

3. 3.

   Peel the onions, finely dice them, sauté in the drippings, stir in tomato paste, and deglaze with red wine. Reduce by half, add game stock, and place the rabbit legs back into the pot. Bring to a boil, then stir in buttermilk. Add bay leaves and cover; braise in the preheated oven for about 2½ hours.

4. 4.

   Meanwhile, wash, pit, and halve the cherries. In a saucepan caramelize powdered sugar, deglaze with port wine and cherry juice, and reduce. Whisk cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth, then use to thicken the sauce. Add the cherries, remove from heat. Take the rabbit legs out of the pot, strain the braising liquid through a sieve, add cream, and simmer until thickened. Season, stir in cold butter, reinsert the rabbit legs (without twine). Serve the meat on warmed plates with cherries and optional mashed potatoes.