METHOD: Wash and cut up two 2 1/2-lb. rabbits or one of 4 lbs. Dredge well with seasoned flour, then brown pieces in hot shortening. Place in baking dish, add 1 medium onion, chopped, 2 bay leaves, a little sage and thyme and water to cover. Cook in a moderate oven, 375 F., until tender (about 1 hour for the 2 1/2 lb. ones and 2 hours for the 4 lb. ones). Before serving, thicken gravy with flour.

Roasting is the cookery process often used to prepare rabbit. To cook it in this way, first skin and clean the animal and stuff it. Then skewer the legs in position, place strips of bacon across the back, put in a roasting pan, and dredge with salt and pepper. Also, ad 1/2 cupful of hot water to which has been added a little butter or bacon fat. Roast in a quick oven, and baste every 15 minutes during the roasting. A few minutes before the rabbit is tender enough to be pierced with a fork, remove the strips of bacon so that the flesh underneath may brown. Then remove from the pan and serve.

If it is desired to prepare a rabbit by sauteing, skin and clean it, cut it into pieces, and dry all the pieces with a soft cloth. Then melt bacon fat in a frying pan, and when it is hot place the pieces of rabbit in it and allow them to brown. Add several sprigs of parsley and two small onions, sliced, season with salt and pepper, add a slice or two of bacon, and pour water over the whole until it is nearly covered. Place a cover on the frying pan and simmer slowly. Add water when it is necessary. When the meat is tender, remove it from the frying pan. Then thicken the fluid that remains with a small amount of flour so as to make a gravy. Serve hot.

Rabbit made into pie is also a desirable way in which to serve rabbit. To prepare such a dish, skin and clean one or more rabbits and cut them up into as small pieces as possible, removing the largest bones. Put these pieces into a baking dish, and over them place bacon cut into small strips. Sprinkle all with chopped parsley, salt, and pepper, and add a few slices of onion, as well as some strips of carrot and potato, if desired. Pour a sufficient amount of boiling water over the whole and allow to simmer slowly until the meat is partly cooked. Then place in the over and cook until the meat is tender. Next, dredge the contents of the baking dish with flour and cover with a 1/4-inch layer of baking-powder biscuit dough. Make several slits through the dough to allow the steam to escape. Bake until the dough becomes a well-browned crust. Serve hot in the baking dish.

The ruffle-edged egg noodles called trenette absorb some of the rich broth in the rabbit mushroom sauce.

Make sauce:
Preheat oven to 325°F.

Cut mushrooms into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Pat rabbit and reserved liver dry. Season rabbit with salt and pepper and dredge in flour, shaking off excess.

In a large heavy ovenproof skillet heat oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown rabbit on all sides. Transfer rabbit to a plate and in the skillet sauté pancetta or bacon, stirring, until golden. Add onion and chopped garlic and sauté stirring, until onion is golden. Add vinegar and wine and deglaze skillet, scraping up brown bits. Simmer onion mixture until liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Cut off and discard top 1/4 inch of head of garlic, exposing cloves, and add head to onion mixture with broth, water, and herbs. Bring mixture to a simmer and season with salt and pepper. Stir in mushrooms and rabbit and braise, covered, in middle of oven 1 hour, or until meat is tender.

Transfer rabbit to a plate and cool slightly. Remove garlic head and squeeze softened cloves into sauce, discarding skins. Mash garlic with fork and stir sauce well.

Using 2 forks shred meat, discarding bones, and stir into sauce with reserved liver if using. Simmer sauce over moderate heat 10 minutes and season with salt and pepper. Sauce may be made 1 day ahead and cooled, uncovered, and before being chilled, covered.

In an 8-quart kettle bring 7 quarts of salted water to a boil. Cook pasta until al dente (about 2 minutes for fresh, longer for dried) and drain in a colander. In a heated bowl immediately toss pasta with sauce and garnish with parsley.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course.

In skillet cook onion in 1 tablespoon butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by about half. Return rabbit to skillet and add broth. Simmer rabbit, covered, until tender, about 40 minutes.

Transfer rabbit to cleaned large bowl and boil sauce until reduced to about 2 cups. In a small bowl whisk together 1/4 cup sauce and mustard and whisk mixture into sauce. In another small bowl stir cornstarch into 1 tablespoon cold water and whisk into sauce. Simmer sauce, whisking, 3 minutes, or until thickened. Whisk in remaining tablespoon butter, parsley, and salt and pepper to taste. Return rabbit to skillet and cook over moderately low heat, turning rabbit to coat with sauce, until heated through.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Serves 6.