Rabbit fricassée with sweet potato mash

RECIPE BY CHRIS HELLEREN FROM LES CHESSELLES RESTAURANT, YARRA VALLEY

SERVES 4

60 g (2¼ oz) clarified butter

1.5 kg (3 lb 5 oz) rabbit, cut into 8 pieces

200 g (7 oz) button mushrooms, sliced

4 tablespoons verjuice

170 ml (5½ fl oz/²/₃ cup) chicken stock

1 bouquet garni

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 small bunch of sage

125 ml (4½ fl oz/½ cup) thick cream

2 egg yolks

MASH

2 large sweet potatoes, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 tablespoon Vegeta or other powdered seasoning

20 g (¾ oz) butter

Heat half the clarified butter in a large saucepan, season the rabbit and brown in batches, turning once. Remove from the saucepan and set aside. Add the remaining butter to the saucepan and brown the mushrooms.

Put the rabbit back into the saucepan with the mushrooms. Add the verjuice and boil for a couple of minutes before adding the stock and bouquet garni. Cover the saucepan tightly and simmer gently over very low heat for 40 minutes.

For the mash: Put the sweet potato, onion and Vegeta in a saucepan of water, bring to the boil and cook until the sweet potato is tender. Drain well, then return to the pan. Add the butter and mash well.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a small saucepan. Remove the leaves from the bunch of sage and drop them, a few at a time, into the hot oil. The leaves will immediately start to bubble around the edges. Cook them for 30 seconds, or until bright green and crispy. Make sure you don’t overheat the oil or cook the leaves for too long or they will turn black and taste burnt. Drain the leaves on paper towels and sprinkle with salt.

Lift the cooked rabbit and mushrooms out of the saucepan and keep warm. Discard the bouquet garni. Remove the pan from the heat, mix together the cream and egg yolks and stir quickly into the stock. Return to very low heat and cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes to thicken slightly (don’t let the sauce boil or the eggs will scramble). Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, scoop the mash into a bowl, then top with the rabbit pieces and mushrooms. Pour the sauce over the top, then garnish with crispy sage leaves.