Rabbit With Cider In Prunes - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 rabbit joints
1 tablespoon seasoned flour
225 g streaky bacon or 225 g pancetta
1 -2 tablespoon oil
2 large onions, peeled, halved and thinly sliced to form crescents
1 garlic clove, chopped
300 ml stock
1 bunch herbs (parsley, thyme, bay leaf)
salt & pepper
110 g pitted prunes
whipping cream (optional)
butter (optional)
300 ml cider or 300 ml white wine

Preparation

Dust rabbit joints in flour.
Wrap each piece in strip of bacon, securing with toothpick.
Heat oil in large saucepan.
Gently saute onion & garlic.
Transfer to flameproof casserole dish.
Brown rabbit in frypan.
Add these to casserole.
Pour cider (or wine) & stock over rabbit.
Add herbs & seasoning.
Gently heat until barely simmering.
Cover & continue to simmer very gently for 1 - 1 1/2 hours until rabbit is tender.
Add prunes 15 minutes before time is up.
To serve place rabbit pieces on shallow platter.
Quickly boil the sauce to reduce & thicken.
Stir in 1 - 2 Tblsp of cream OR butter if using.
Pour sauce all over the rabbit and strew with croutons & chopped parsley.
Serve.