Hassenpfeffer

This recipe for rabbit is from Sylvia Bashline's fabulous Fish and Game Cookbook. Sylvia is a former food columnist for Outdoor Life Magazine who has won top honors from the Outdoor Writers Association. This terrific book provides over 200 classic recipes, many of which have been neglected by standard cookbooks.

• 2 rabbits cut into serving pieces
• 3 T butter
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 med. onion
• 4 whole cloves
• 12 whole black peppercorns
• 1 tsp. chopped parsley
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 C lemon juice
• 1 C port
• 2 1/2 C beef stock or bouillion

Serves 5:
Stud the peeled onion with the whole cloves. Make a small bouquet garnish by tying the peppercorns, parsley, thyme and bay leaf in a small cheesecloth pouch. Preheat oven to 350° F. Sprinkle rabbit pieces with salt and pepper and sauté in the butter until brown on all sides. Place in a 3 quart casserole. Add salt, bouquet garni and studded onion, followed by the lemon juice, port and stock or boullion. Cover and bake for 1 1/2 hours. Ten minutes before it's done, remove the cheesecloth bag. The pan juices can be thickened to make a gravy.