Try Rabbit

“That evening, I got a head start on Easter preparations. I cut the rabbit into six pieces, separating the legs and the saddle meat, then slathered them in a mixture of olive oil, salt, and lots of pepper and fennel seeds. I thinly sliced four whole fennel bulbs and spread the pile, tossed with salt and pepper and more oil, across the bottom of a pan. After giving the vegetables a head start in the oven, I laid the meat on top and let it roast for around forty minutes, flipping the rabbit pieces midway through to help them brown. By the time the rabbit was done cooking, the kitchen was overwhelmed with earthy aromas of meat juices and anise. I grabbed one of the legs and took a bite. It tasted elemental and herbaceous, like early spring itself.”