Ingredients

1 PKT Western Plain’s rabbit portions 600ml chicken stock 2 small cloves of garlic 100g streaky bacon, diced 2 tablespoons of olive oil 130ml white wine 1 brown onion, finely diced 1 carrot, finely diced 1 stick of celery, finely diced 8 pickling onions 8 small Swiss brown mushrooms 1 cup frozen baby peas 1 bunch of asparagus 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon plain flour Bouquet garni (1 sprig of sage, 2 bay leaves and a sprig of thyme tied together in muslin) or a pinch of dried herbs

Method

Preheat an oven 150˚c

Combine the mustard, plain flour and a teaspoon of the white wine in a small bowl to form a paste. Spread the paste over the rabbit pieces and set aside whilst you prepare the other ingredients.

Heat the oil in a cast iron casserole dish and gently brown the rabbit pieces. Remove the rabbit pieces from the pot and set to one side. Add the remaining wine to the pot and deglaze. Pour the juices over the rabbit pieces.

Add the pancetta to the casserole and gently sauté until golden brown; add the diced onion, carrot and celery and sauté until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and sauté for a couple more minutes until it has softened.

Add the rabbit and the juices back to the casserole dish and then add the pickling onions, the mushrooms, bay leaves, thyme, sage and the stock. Bring the casserole to a gentle boil, season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Put the lid on the pot and cook in the oven for 45 minutes or until tender. Place the pot back on the stove over a gentle heat and remove the lid. Trim the asparagus and cut into small pieces, add to the pot with the peas and cook for a couple of minutes before serving..

Serving suggestion - serve with creamy mash potato or rice.