Rabbit With Lemon Dumplings

Total Time: 1 hr 45 mins Preparation Time: 15 mins Cook Time: 1 hr 30 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1 1/4 kg rabbit joints (8 pieces)
• olive oil
• 8 slices streaky bacon, rind removed
• 1 1/2 onions, sliced into crescent moons
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 250 ml dry wine
• 1/2 onion, very finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 40 g butter
• 2 tablespoons parsley, finely chopped
• 80 g watercress, coarse stalks removed
• 80 g breadcrumbs
• 1/2 lemon, juice and zest of
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves only
• 1 large egg

Recipe

• 1 rub the rabbit joints with a little olive oil, season and wrap a piece of bacon round each one. heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and colour the wrapped joints on all sides for about 2-3 minutes.
• 2 heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the bottom of a shallow, ovenproof pan and cook the onions until soft but not coloured. add the garlic and cook for a further minute. season.
• 3 sit the rabbit joints on top of the onions and drizzle a little oil over the top. add the sprigs of thyme, pour in the wine and bring to the boil. lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
• 4 for the dumplings gently fry the onion and garlic in the butter until softened. put this in a bowl and add the rest of the dumpling ingredients. season well.
• 5 bring the mixture together and form about 12 little golf-ball sized dumplings out of it. it will be rather loose but just persevere.
• 6 after the rabbit has cooked for 30 minutes, tuck the dumplings in around the joints. simmer for another 40-50 minutes.
• 7 serve the rabbit in the dish in which it was cooked, with a few little boiled potatoes and some purple sprouting broccoli or spinach.