Warm salad of rabbit leg and saddle with globe artichoke and cèpe vinaigrette

Ingredients
(serves four)

For the stuffed rabbit legs
2 hind rabbit legs
2 forelegs and shoulders
50g shallots
Duck fat for confit
Salt and pepper
100g puréed foie gras
100g diced cèpes

For the stuffed saddle 1 boned rabbit saddle
Rabbit liver
5-6 slices thinly sliced ventrèche

For assembly 2 cooked and diced artichoke bottoms
200g sliced and sautéd cèpes
100g shelled and blanched broad beans
Frisée salad
10g truffle julienne
50g confit shallots
50ml (approx) vinaigrette
Sliced rabbit legs
Sliced rabbit saddle
Garnish: trompette des morts, chervil

Method

To prepare the stuffed rabbit legs, first bone the hind legs. Cook the forelegs (and shallots) in duck fat as for confit, bake for about two hours in a covered pan at 180ºC (you will normally be working with a larger batch size). Cool, season and flake the meat. Combine with foie gras and cèpes. Stuff the boned legs with the mixture. Roll tightly in cooking film. Pierce the film. Cook for two hours as for confit. Cool slightly, discard the film. Re-roll tightly in fresh film. Reserve.

To prepare the stuffed rabbit saddle, lay the liver along the middle of the saddle. Wrap (as for a terrine) in ventrèche then foil. Bake for 10 minutes in a hot oven (200ºC) and cool.

For assembly, combine artichokes, cèpes, beans, frisée, truffle, shallot and vinaigrette. Serve the salad with slices of rabbit and the trompette des morts and chervil garnish.

• 2000 Chenin Blanc, L'Avenir Estate, Stellenbosch (£5 per glass)

Photo © Tom Stockhill