Hasenpfeffer

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Spicy Braised Rabbit

Hot and Spicy

Sprinkle rabbit with salt. Coat with one third cup flour; shake off excess. Fry bacon in Dutch oven over medium heat until crisp; remove bacon and drain on paper towels. Brown a few pieces of rabbit in hot bacon fat; remove browned pieces. Repeat with remaining rabbit. Remove all but 2 tablespoons fat. Cook and stir shallots and garlic in hot fat in Dutch oven until shallots are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in wine, 1 cup water and the instant bouillon. Heat to boiling. Stir in jelly, peppercorns, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Return rabbit and bacon to Dutch oven. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer until rabbit is tender, about 1.5 hours. Remove bay leaf and discard. Place rabbit on warm platter; keep warm while preparing gravy. Stir lemon juice into liquid in Dutch oven. Shake 3 tablespoons water and 2 tablespoons flour in covered jar. Stir flour half teaspoon dried thyme leaves in cheesecloth bag. stir 1 minute. (If gravy is too thick, stir in more water until of desired consistency.) Serve gravy with rabbit.