Braised rabbit pappardelle

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• One wild rabbit jointed (ask your butcher to do this for you)
• Four rashers smoked streaky bacon, chopped
• One small red onion, finely chopped
• One carrot, finely chopped
• Three garlic cloves, crushed
• Two rosemary springs leaves picked and chopped
• 1 tablespoon of tomato puree
• 150 ml white or rose wine
• 500 ml chicken stock
• Orange zest 1/2
• 1 tablespoon of Dijon mustard
• 100 ml of double cream
• Some parsley leafs chopped
• Grated Parmesan

Preparation:

Heat some oil in a large pan. When hot, add the rabbit. When the rabbit becomes brown on all sides, remove the rabbit from the pan and keep it an aside. Add the bacon, onion and carrot to the pan and cook for then minutes until it is soft. Add garlic, rosemary and tomato puree, stir for 2 minutes, then pour in the wine and chicken stock. Return the rabbit back to the pan season it and cover with it with a lid. Cook over a low heat for one hr, until the rabbit is tender. Remove the rabbit from the pan and shred the meat using two forks. Take care when removing all bones. Meanwhile, increase the heat into the pan and boil the liquid for five minutes until it is reduces by half. Add the shredded meat and lessen the heat to low. Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted water following the instructions. Drain, reserving a little pasta water to thin the sauce if necessary and stir half of the pasta while you add the orange zest, cream, mustard and parsley into the rabbit sauce. Add the cooked pasta into the pan, toss everything well to coat and heat through for 1-2 minutes. Serve in bowls with grated Parmesan, parsley leaves and the remaining orange zest.