Why not give Rabbit a try

Clare Latimer cooks up a couple of delicious treats with a traditional flavour

A GIRLFRIEND and I decided to spoil ourselves and indulge in a really special pampering evening with good food. Where to go? After a lot of discussion we thought it would be good to try the newly refurbished Brown’s Hotel in Mayfair.
I was nervous, as I hate change and thought it would be super trendy and have lost its old historical feel. Well, how wrong I was.
We parked right outside the door without the hassle of the congestion charge or traffic wardens and from the moment we set foot in the hotel the service was nothing except superb.
The staff were correct but with a good sense of humour under their professional hats. Most of the food had that touch of “I wonder how they did that bit” and all the flavours married very well. I would highly recommend it.

Rabbit with Spinach Puree
The head chef cooked a delicious saddle of rabbit with a puree of peas and baby asparagus spears.
I rang to ask for the recipe but time has run out so I have chosen to give you this recipe that is also very good.
Rabbit is not that fashionable at the moment partly due to the fluffy bunny image and also there was an overdose during the war and that has put many people off.
It is a lovely meal and can be cooked in the same way as chicken so be brave and have a go.

Ingredients
Serves 2
Two slices Parma ham;
One saddle of rabbit, boned, plus the kidneys;
Salt and freshly ground black pepper;
Two tbsp olive oil;
One carrot, peeled and diced;
Two celery sticks, trimmed and diced;
Four tbsp white wine;
1 tbsp butter;
For the spinach purée;
One knob butter;
Two red onions, peeled and finely chopped;
200g fresh spinach, washed well and stalks removed;
Four tbsp crème fraiche;
Fresh nutmeg.

Method
Overlap the slices of ham on your work surface so that together they are slightly wider than the rabbit fillet. Lay the fillet on top and season well. Roll the ham to encase the rabbit.
Heat the oil in the pan and add the rolled fillet. Fry for five minutes or until brown and crisp.
Add the carrot and celery and fry for two to three minutes. Add the kidneys and fry for one minute, on both sides
Remove the pan from the heat.
Prepare the spinach purée. Melt the butter in a small pan. Add the shallots and the spinach and fry until the spinach has wilted.
Transfer the spinach and shallots to a food processor; add the crème fraiche and grate in some fresh nutmeg and blend until smooth.
Add a little water if the purée is too thick. Return the spinach to the pan and reheat gently.
Put the rabbit pan back on the heat. Add the white wine and stir to collect the cooking juices from the rabbit. Stir in the butter. Slice the kidneys in half and add to the pan.
Slice the rabbit into six pieces. Place three rounds on each plate with a spoon of the spinach purée.
Scatter over the carrot, celery and kidneys and finish with a drizzle of the pan juices.

Blackcurrant Jelly Sweets
With our coffee we had a delicious array of sweets and this one was the most memorable to me so I rang and asked the pastry chef if he would share his recipe and here it is.
You could halve the amounts if you wish to make less. You could either serve them with coffee or they would go well with a red fruit salad dotting a few squares round the edge of the plate.

Ingredients
150g caster sugar;
One kilo blackcurrant puree;
60g pectin;
850g granulated sugar;
350g glucose;
25g citric acid;
A little caster sugar for dusting.

Method
Mix the caster sugar and pectin together and warm through in saucepan.
Add the blackcurrant puree and stir over heat for one minute.
Add the granulated sugar and glucose.
Using a jam thermometer cook until temperature reaches 106-107°C.
Add the citric acid, stir and then pour into a tray to set.
Cut into cubes and roll in caster sugar to serve.