Rabbit In Civet

Preparation:

Preparation: Empty the rabbit, discard the head and first divide it into two parts lengthwise and then cut five pieces from each half, keeping the liver which you will later use for the sauce. Wash them under running water, dry them and place them in a large bowl. Add the onion, celery and carrots, peeled and cut into pieces. Add the peeled garlic clove, the bay leaf divided in two, the clove and pour the whole bottle of wine. Cover the bowl and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for at least twelve hours. After this time, roll up the rabbit pieces, dry them with kitchen paper and lightly flour them. Strain the marinade (keep the wine) and coarsely chop the vegetables after removing the bay leaf and clove. Heat the oil and butter in a heavy-bottomed pan and brown the rabbit, turning it often so that it colors evenly, then remove it from the pan and keep it warm between two plates. Pour the chopped vegetables into the pan and let it dry over a low heat for about ten minutes, stirring often, then add the rabbit, season with salt and pepper and, after a few minutes, pour all the wine from the marinade into the pan. Also add the bay leaf and the clove, cover halfway and, when the wine has boiled, lower the heat and let it cook for about an hour. Finely chop the liver, mix it with the sauce and leave for another ten minutes. At the end of cooking, the wine must be almost completely consumed and the sauce must therefore be quite thick: to make it more homogeneous, pass it through the vegetable mill fitted with the thinnest disc and pour it over the rabbit. Serve the preparation very hot together with a soft polenta.