1 rabbit, cut into serving pieces
2 cups heartry red wine (e.g. Chianti)
10 juniper berries, crushed
2 shallots or 1 small red onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stalk, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, cut into slivers
4 or 5 sprigs rosemary
1 lemon
Olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/4 pounds very small new potatoes, scrubbed
Place the rabbit in a bowl. Add the wine, juniper berries, shallots, carrot, and celery, cover, and refrigerate for 8 hours or so.
Remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat the pieces dry. Discard the marinade. Use the point of a knife to poke gashes in the rabbit and stick in slivers of garlic and bits of 1 rosemary sprig. Place the pieces in a baking dish. Grate the zest of the lemon over the rabbit, then juice the lemon over the pieces. Add the remaining rosemary to the pan. Drizzle with olive oil and let it sit for abut an hour.
Heat the oven to 400 degrees.
If the potatoes are not very small, halve them. Scatter the potatoes around the rabbit, drizzle it all well with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper.
Bake, turning the rabbit and potatoes once or twice, until the rabbit is very tender and the potatoes browned, 45 to 50 minutes. Serve.
Serves 4
