Rabbit Loins in Cured Ham with on a Sauce of Mead with Lavender

Method

Remove the loins from the carcass and strip the meat off the legs. In fact scrape any bits of flesh off the bones.
Clarify the butter and add the stalks of the lavender to infuse. Season the rabbit loins and seal in hot clarified butter with lavender stalks. Remove and cool.

Cut the remaining meat into pieces and process in a food processor with an egg white with salt & white pepper to make a mousse. Remove a third of the rabbit from the processor and keep to one side. add the raw spinach and pulse into the mousse.

Lay a sheet of cling film on a cutting board approximately 24cms x 18cms. Place a layer of overlapping cured ham on the cling film and then spread with the spinach mousse. Scatter a few lavender flowers onto the mousse and then place the rabbit loins onto it.

Taking the mousse previously reserved add the diced apple and honey and mix well. Roll into a sausage shape and fill the gap in the centre of the rabbit between the two loins. Roll the whole thing up and secure with more cling film to form a roulade.

Cook in a saucepan of simmering water for 12 ? 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and rest the meat for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile make a jus by chopping the rest of the carcass of the rabbit and brown in oil with a mirepoix of vegetables. Drain off the fat and add a splash of white wine and some brown stock.

Boil up for ten minutes then strain into a clean pan and add the mead. Thicken with a little arrowroot, taste and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Carve the meat into Rondelles about 3cms thick and serve with some new potatoes and baby vegetables.