Rabbit Pilau

Ingredients

• 2 cups rice rinsed uncooked
• 2  carrots diced
• 3  carrots diced
• 1  bay leaf dried
• 2  bay leaves dried
• 1 tablespoon porcini mushrooms dried
• 2 cups cooking wine dry red
• 6  flat-leaf parsley sprigs fresh
• 2  garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt 
• 1 medium leek 
• 2.5 cups chicken broth divided reduced-sodium
• 3 cups chicken broth reduced-sodium
• 2 tablespoons olive oil 
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 0.5 teaspoon pepper freshly ground
• 0.5 cup port 
• 2.5 lb rabbit cut into 6 pieces
• 8 servings rabbit 
• 8 servings kitchen string 
• 4  thyme sprigs fresh
• 4 tablespoons butter unsalted divided
• 8 servings pilau 
• 8 servings pilau 

Equipment

• frying pan
• sauce pan
• oven
• whisk
• wire rack
• sieve
• dutch oven
• kitchen twine

Directions

1. Prepare Rabbit: Preheat oven to 30
2. Bring dried mushrooms and 1/2 cup chicken broth to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat.
3. Remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, sprinkle rabbit with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook rabbit, in 2 batches, in hot oil in a heavy ovenproof skillet or enameled cast-iron Dutch oven over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes on each side or until deep golden brown.
5. Transfer to a wire rack in a jelly-roll pan, reserving drippings in skillet.
6. Add carrots and garlic to reserved drippings in skillet, and saut 4 minutes or until carrots are softened. Stir in wine, port, mushroom mixture, and remaining 2 cups broth; bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Skim off foam and fat.
7. Remove and discard root end of leek; remove dark green top of leek. Tie together green leek top, parsley sprigs, and next 2 ingredients with kitchen string.
8. Add herb bundle and rabbit to skillet; bring to a simmer, and cover.
9. Braise at 300 for 15 minutes.
10. Transfer rabbit loin pieces to wire rack in jelly-roll pan. Braise remaining rabbit 30 more minutes.
11. Transfer remaining rabbit to wire rack; cool 15 minutes.
12. Meanwhile, bring liquid in skillet to a simmer over medium heat, and cook 15 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half. Skim off foam and fat.
13. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a small saucepan; discard solids. Cover and keep warm over low heat.
14. Remove rabbit from bones; shred with 2 forks. Discard bones.
15. Cut reserved leek in half lengthwise; rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove grit and sand.
16. Cut leek into 1/2-inch-thick slices.
17. Melt 2 Tbsp. butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat.
18. Add carrots, next 2 ingredients, and leek; saut 2 minutes or until onions and leek just begin to soften.
19. Add rice, and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.
20. Add broth, and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 15 minutes or until rice is tender and broth has been absorbed.
21. Stir rabbit into rice; transfer to a platter.
22. Whisk remaining 2 Tbsp. butter into warm braising liquid. Spoon liquid over pilau before serving.