Bunny Balls

Directions

1. 1
   Preheat the oven to 375F.
2. 2
   Drizzle 2 tablespoons of the olive oil into a 9 x 13-inch baking dish and use your hand to evenly coat the entire surface.
3. 3
   Set aside.
4. 4
   Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan for 1 minute over medium-high heat.
5. 5
   Add the onions, fennel, and salt.
6. 6
   Cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are tender and begin to brown, about 10 minutes.
7. 7
   Place the rabbit legs in another baking dish and cover with the hot onion mixture.
8. 8
   Roast for 1 hour and 15 minutes, turning the legs every 10 minutes.
9. 9
   When done, the meat should be tender and falling off the bone.
10. 10
    Remove from the oven and allow to cool.
11. 11
    Pick the cooked meat off the bones, being careful to remove all of the bones.
12. 12
    Coarsely chop the meat, combine with the onion mixture, and set aside.
13. 13
    Raise the oven temperature to 450F.
14. 14
    Combine the cooked, chopped rabbit mixture with the raw ground rabbit, rosemary, pepper, garlic, white wine, parsley, eggs, and bread crumbs in a large mixing bowl and mix by hand until thoroughly incorporated.
15. 15
    Roll the mixture into round, golf ballsize meatballs (about 1 1/2 inches), making sure to pack the meat firmly.
16. 16
    Place the balls in the prepared baking dish, being careful to line them up snugly and in even rows vertically and horizontally to form a grid.
17. 17
    The meatballs should be touching each other.
18. 18
    Roast for 20 minutes, or until the meatballs are firm and cooked through.
19. 19
    A meat thermometer inserted into the center of a meatball should read 165F.
20. 20
    Allow the meatballs to cool for 5 minutes in the baking dish before serving.