Cajun-Style Stuffed Rabbit Legs

Here is another recipe from Cajun-Creole Chef John Folse's Le Havre Menu . . .

Cajun-Style Stuffed Rabbit Legs

Preparation time: 30 minutes plus marinating overnight

Cooking time: 1 hour 15 minutes

4 large rabbit legs with thighs at tached, about 1 1/2 pounds total
6 tablespoons finely chopped onion
6 tablespoons finely chopped cel ery
4 tablespoons thinly sliced carrot rounds
2 tablespoons syrup, preferably cane syrup
10 tablespoons dry red wine
4 fresh basil leaves, coarsely chopped
5 leaves fresh tarragon, coarsely chopped
1/2 teaspoon coarsely chopped fresh thyme leaves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Salt to taste, if desired
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 pound lump crab meat, picked over to remove all traces of shell or cartilage
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup finely chopped green or yel low sweet pepper or a combina tion of both
1 tablespoon finely minced garlic
1 teaspoon Creole-style mustard
1 teaspoon dry sherry
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup heavy cream
Freshly ground pepper to taste.

1.Using small knife or boning knife, starting at top of each thigh bone, cut meat from bone, pushing and scraping as necessary, down to the leg bone. Cut off and reserve thigh bones. Leave leg bone intact and attached to boned thigh.

2.Place pieces in a flat dish and sprinkle with 4 tablespoons each of chopped onion and celery, carrot rounds, syrup, 2 tablespoons wine, basil, tarragon, thyme, 1/8 teaspoon cayenne and salt. Blend well and set aside to marinate, preferably overnight in refrigerator.

3.Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees.

4.Place reserved rabbit bones in one layer in a small skillet and place in oven. Bake until well browned, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven but do not turn off oven. Add remaining 8 tablespoons of wine and the water and bring to boil on top of stove. Cook, stirring occasionally, about 20 minutes, or until liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup. Discard bones and set sauce aside.

5.Put crab meat in a bowl. Heat butter in a small skillet and add remaining 2 tablespoons each of onion and celery, along with sweet pepper and garlic. Cook briefly, stirring, and add to crab meat. Add mustard, remaining 1/8 teaspoon cayenne, sherry, lemon juice, bread crumbs, cream, salt and pepper to taste. Blend well with fingers.

6.Open up thigh cavity of each leg and fill with equal portions of crab mixture. Press around top of thigh to compact the filling. Arrange stuffed legs in one layer in a baking dish. Bake in oven 30 minutes.

7.To serve, cut each thigh crosswise into four pieces of equal size. Serve with the reheated sherry sauce spooned over.

Yield: 4 servings.