Rabbit goulash with napkin dumplings

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1 rabbit, whole, approx. 2kg
• olive oil
• 4 onions
• 2 carrots
• 1 slice(s) celeriac
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 bottle of dry red wine
• 1 ½ liters of water
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp herbs de Provence
• 4 tomatoes (vine tomatoes)
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 tsp black peppercorns
• 1 tbsp paprika powder, sweet
• 1 tsp paprika powder, hot
• 3 juniper berries
• 1 tbsp honey
• 8 cl balsamic vinegar, dark
• cream
• possibly cornstarch
• 4 carrots
• 40 g butter
• Salt
• Sugar
• Parsley, chopped
• 250 g rolls, old
• 300 ml milk
• 2 m.-sized eggs
• 2 onions
• 30 g butter
• salt and pepper
• nutmeg
• 2 tbsp parsley, dried

Instructions

Working time approx. 40 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 2 hours; Total time approx. 3 hours 40 minutes

Cut up the rabbit, fry the legs, forelegs, back, and belly flap, and set aside, covered. Chop the rump, neck, and breast into small pieces and fry in a roasting pan over medium heat until well browned on all sides. Then add the braised vegetables and fry until everything has taken on a rich color. Add the tomato paste and sugar, sweat, deglaze with red wine, and simmer until you can hear the sound of it frying again. Add more red wine, let it simmer a little, then top up with water and add the seasoning. Now add the previously fried parts and the quartered tomatoes. Braise in a covered pan for 1.5 hours. Remove the good pieces of meat and pour the sauce through a fine sieve. Simmer again in an uncovered pan until a slightly creamy consistency is reached. Caramelize the honey in the roasting pan and deglaze with balsamic vinegar. Allow to reduce slightly, then add the gravy and refine with a dash of cream. Now you can remove the meat from the rabbit pieces and cut it into bite-sized pieces and add it to the gravy. If desired, you can thicken it slightly with a little cornstarch before serving. The carrots: Peel the carrots, cut them into 5cm long pieces and quarter them. Trim them with a paring knife, blanch them in boiling salted water for 10 minutes and refresh them in cold water. Shortly before serving, heat them in melted butter with a pinch of salt and a little sugar and sprinkle with finely chopped parsley. The dumplings: Dice the bread rolls and place them in a large bowl. Fry the diced onions in butter until lightly brown. Heat the milk. Stir in the eggs, spices, herbs and onions and pour over the bread cubes. Let it stand for 1 hour. Transfer the mixture to a freezer bag, compress it slightly and fold the excess over to form a roll. Wrap it again in aluminum foil and twist the ends together. Place the roll in boiling water for 40 minutes, then remove the dumpling and slice it for serving.