Rabbit fillet with thyme

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 wild hare saddles (makes 4 fillets)
• 2 carrots
• 1 vegetable onion(s)
• 2 parsley roots
• 1 apple, sour (Boskop)
• 4 juniper berries
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 100 ml Madeira
• 250 ml game stock or veal stock
• 2 tbsp jelly, elderberry
• Clarified butter
• butter
• Thyme

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 45 minutes

The back makes a wonderful sauce with root vegetables and elderberry jelly

Remove the hare saddle fillets from the bones and trim them. Rub them with thyme and set aside. For the sauce, roughly chop the bones and fry them in a large pot (casserole dish) in clarified butter until nicely roasted. When the bones are well browned, remove them and fry the roughly chopped vegetables and juniper berries in the remaining pan juices (add a little clarified butter if necessary). Add the bones back and lightly caramelize everything with brown sugar. Deglaze with the Madeira wine, allow to reduce slightly, add the stock and simmer with the lid closed for about 45 minutes. Remove the bones and pass the vegetables through a fine sieve. Bring the sauce back to the boil, add the elderberry jelly, season with salt and pepper and melt the cold butter before serving. Salt the fillets and sear them in a butter and clarified butter mixture for about 3 minutes on each side. Keep warm until ready to serve. To serve, slice diagonally into 3cm slices (they should have a pink center).