Lois deftly skinned, gutted and jointed a couple of freshly caught wild rabbits to prepare this dish for me - it is one of her favourite meals, which she likes to serve with creamy mashed potatoes laced with mace.

Ingredients

• 2 rabbits, jointed
• ½ cup verjuice or white wine
• ¼ cup prepared mustard, Dijon is ideal
• 2 onions, peeled and sliced
• 3-4 cloves garlic, crushed, peeled and sliced
• 2-3 bay leaves
• small handful fresh thyme sprigs
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 cup white wien
• ½ cup cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.
2. Toss the rabbit pieces in the verjuice or white wine and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
3. Transfer the pieces to a large flame-proof dish in which all the pieces fit snugly. Spread liberally with mustard. Scatter over the onions, garlic, bay leaves and thyme. Season well with plenty of pepper. Pour in the wine.
4. Bake, uncovered, in the preheated oven for 1¼-1½ hours or until the rabbit is tender. The wine should have reduced to almost nothing. If this has not happened, place the dish over a direct heat and simmer until it has reduced. Pour in the cream and scatter over a few sprigs of fresh thyme to garnish before serving.

Cooks Tips

- The front legs of a rabbit are scrawny and contain little meat, so you may find it best to throw these pieces out and use the larger back legs and loin section. - Verjuice, which translates to 'green juice', is the unfermented, acidic juice of upripe grapes, apples or other unripe fruit (although grapes and apples are the source of the most commonly available verjuice). While it is used like vinegar or lemon juice it has its own favour, depending on its fruit base origin, and is rather less severe than vinegar or lemon juice. It is gradually becoming more readily available; try it to make a milder, less astringent or sharp vinaigrette or mayonnaise. - Use chicken in place of rabbit, one large chicken will be sufficient for 6 people.