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1
Blanch 1 1/2 pounds of fresh spinach, stems removed, and reserved greens from 4 beets.
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2
Drain, rinse under cold water and squeeze out all of the liquid.
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3
Toss the greens in a skillet over medium-high beat with 2 tablespoons of butter and until heated through.
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4
Season with salt.
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5
To Marinate: You can do this yourself, or you can ask your butcher to cut up your rabbit as follows: forelegs left whole, hind legs cut into 3 pieces each (lower joint; thigh cut diagonally into 2 pieces), rib section cut into 3 pieces, loin cut into 3 pieces, neck left whole.
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6
At least 2 days before serving, place the rabbit in a shallow glass or enamel pan and add marinade ingredients.
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7
Turn rabbit pieces over to coat.
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8
Marinate, covered, in refrigerator, turning occasionally.
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9
Preheat you oven to 325F (160C).
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10
Remove the rabbit from the marinade.
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11
In a heavy large skillet, heat about 1/4 cup of olive oil over medium-high heat.
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12
Add half of the rabbit pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
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13
Saute, turning pieces once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
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14
Transfer to oven-proof casserole.
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15
Discard fat from skillet and add 1/2 cup of white wine, scraping up all of the browned bits in the pan.
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16
Boil for 2 minutes and add the liquids out of the skillet to the casserole.
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17
Repeat the procedure, browning the remaining rabbit, deglazing and adding rabbit and liquid to the casserole.
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18
Bring the brown chicken stock to a boil; skim, if necessary, and pour it into the casserole (liquid should not quite cover meat).
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19
Place the casserole, partially covered, in the lower third of the oven.
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20
After 50 minutes, check the forelegs, racks and loins.
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21
If they are tender, remove them.
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22
Continue cooking until all of the remaining pieces are tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours total cooking time (timing can vary depending on size and tenderness of the rabbit).
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23
Transfer to serving plates and keep warm.
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24
Meanwhile, blanch the garlic in boiling salted water for 30 seconds; drain.
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25
Blanch again for 30 seconds, drain.
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26
Place in a small skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and saute over high heat for 1 minute.
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27
Place the skillet in the oven until the garlic is golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
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28
Cut each clove into 3 or 4 pieces; set aside.
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29
When the rabbit is tender, place the skillet with cooking liquid over high heat and boil until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
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30
Skim all of the fat from the surface.
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31
In a small cup, stir together the arrowroot and water; whisk the mixture into the reduced cooking liquid and return to a boil.
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32
Add brandy, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and skim again if necessary.
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33
Stir in the reserved garlic pieces, and pour over the rabbit.
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34
Serve your rabbit with Roast Beef Puree, spinach and beet greens.
