Peter Cottontail

I've always loved bunny rabbits; they are just so darn cute.  For that reason, I was dreading the day that we took on rabbit as a subject in culinary school.  The mere thought of having to "break down" a rabbit and cook it's cute little body made me a bit uneasy, I must admit.  That is, until I saw how creepy they looked without their fur, ears, and tail and I got over it faster than the dear species can mate. 

See what I mean?

Doesn't exactly invoke images of the Easter Bunny or Peter Cottontail, now does it?

So, the chopping commenced.

Chef demo-ing how to correctly portion a rabbit.

Apparently, from the looks of this rabbit's lungs, he was a Marlboro fan.

All the pieces to be used in our recipes that day.  We didn't waste much, that's for sure.

Taking the saddle off the bone.

The saddle is ready to be stuffed.

First, we had to chop the liver.

And saute it with shallots and butter.

We tossed the sauteed liver in with some ground turkey, herbs and seasoning and mixed.

And then piped it onto the saddle and topped it with the kidneys.  As someone in my group pointed out, there is a reason why kidney beans got their name.  They bear an uncanny resemblence to these kidneys.

The saddle is wrapped around the stuffing and kidneys and then it is surrounded by caulfat.

And quickly browned in a skillet.

And finished in the oven.

The rest of the rabbit is sauteed in a copper pan.

Then shallots are cooked and brandy is used to deglaze the pan followed by white wine.

Flour is sprinkled on top and then roasts in the oven before adding stock and finishing the meat in the oven.

Throw in some mushrooms, pearl onions and, yes, even turned potatoes and the dish is finished.