Saucy Rabbit
If 17th-century beliefs are anything to go by, there'll be a baby boom nine months after this menu because on some continents, the rabbit is a fertility symbol. And many European countries serve rabbit on the Easter dinner table.

However, it never caught on here as a festive meal because rabbit - which is game - was believed to be strictly for the landed gentry. That belief is happily long gone, as is the opinion that game should be hung until it's rotting and putrid. I'll take mine fresh, thank you very much!

Rabbit certainly has a lot going for it - it's only 123 calories per 3.5 oz (90g) portion so it's great for the diet-concious and it's easily digested. Also, the lentils in the sauce are packed with protein, making the meal more nutritious.

INGREDIENTS
  • 1 x 3lb (1.35kg) rabbit, jointed
  • 4oz (100g) red lentils
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 1 large carrot, sliced
  • 2 sticks celery, sliced
  • Sprig of parsley
  • Sprig of thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 pint (570ml) chicken stock
  • 2 tblsp finely chopped parsley
Place the rabbit pieces in a pan with the lentils, onion, carrot, celery, herbs and seasoning. Add the stock, cover and cook for 2 hours until tender. Remove the rabbit and transfer to a warm ovenproof dish.

To make the lentil sauce, rub the vegetables through a sieve or liquidise them, adding more stock if necessary to make a puree with a cream-like consistency. Season, coat the rabbit with the puree and reheat in a low oven. Garnish with the chopped parsley.

Please send any comments on this page to:
G.Mills@compserv.gla.ac.uk
(George W. Mills, Computing Service, University of Glasgow)