Bunny, anyone?

Thinking about all those chocolate bunnies made me hungry, but not for chocolate. It's been too long since I enjoyed a taste of real bunny and what better time of year than Easter?

If you're delicate about eating rabbit you'd best skip this, although how it's different from eating chicken or beef or fish or lamb I've never really understood.

All right, we're down to the real bunny lovers, so we can get to it.

This first recipe calls for what seems like a lot of mustard, but stewed slowly the sharpness disappears, leaving a tangy undercurrent to tickle your tongue. If you've never tried these flavours together you're in for a treat. You can boil the potatoes separately and serve with, if you'd rather.

Mustarded Rabbit

1 rabbit, cut into pieces

6 tbsp. hot grainy mustard

flour mixed with a little salt and pepper for dredging

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. vegetable oil

4xslicesxbacon,xcoarsely chopped

1 large onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 cup chicken broth

4 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered

1/2 cup whipping cream

1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper (or to taste)

Coat each rabbit piece in mustard and refrigerate a couple of hours or up to overnight. Dredge in seasoned flour and brown in a Dutch oven in butter mixed with oil. Remove rabbit and set aside. Add bacon to pot and cook until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. Add onion and fry until transparent; stir in garlic and cook another minute. Add broth and return rabbit to pot. Cover and simmer 1 hour. Add potatoes and cook another 10 minutes. Stir in cream and simmer gently until potatoes are cooked through. Place rabbit and potatoes on serving plate and continue to simmer sauce until it is reduced slightly, thick and creamy. Pour over rabbit and potatoes, garnish with crisp bacon pieces and serve to 4 people.

I accidentally discovered that rabbit and allspice go together very nicely - I thought I was adding cumin but grabbed the wrong bottle and had it in before realizing my mistake. Some mistake.

Spiced Rabbit Stew

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

2 tbsp. vegetable oil

2 tsp. allspice

2 tbsp. flour to which 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper have been added

1 rabbit, cut into pieces

grated rind and juice of 1 orange

3 cups chicken broth

1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper

In a Dutch oven fry celery and onion in oil until soft; remove and set aside. Combine allspice and flour mixture and dredge rabbit pieces. Add rabbit to pot, adding a little more oil if needed. Brown; remove and set aside. Add orange rind, juice and broth to pot. Return rabbit; cover and simmer about 1-1/2 hours or until very tender. Stir in salt and pepper. Serve in bowls to 4 people with lots of bread to sop up the juice.

Another combination that can't be beaten is rabbit and rosemary - they both have that browsy quality that so many of us relish. This recipe started out in Italy, where folks really appreciate the taste of bunny. You don't want to reduce the olive oil here, even though it seems like a lot - the flavour is worth the calories.

Rosemary Rabbit with Mushrooms

1 rabbit, cut into 5 or 6 pieces

1/4 cup olive oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 cups mixed fresh mushrooms, sliced

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper

1/2 cup dry white wine

leaves from 1 sprig rosemary, minced

1/4 cup chopped black olives (optional)

1/2 cup diced canned tomatoes, without juice

Brown rabbit pieces in olive oil; remove and set aside.

Add onions and mushrooms to pot and cook until mushrooms have released their moisture and it has evaporated. Stir in garlic, salt and pepper and cook another minute or two.

Return rabbit to pot along with wine, rosemary, olives and tomatoes. Cover and simmer 45 minutes or an hour, until rabbit is tender. Serve to 4 with buttered noodles.

Cynthia Stone is a writer, editor and teacher in St. John's. Questions may be sent to her c/o The Telegram, P.O. Box 5970, St. John's, NL, A1C 5X7.