1 1/2 to 12 pound rabbit
4-8 slices of bacon
salt and pepper to taste
parsley, quite sparsely

Wash and prep rabbit. Place rabbit breast-side-down on roasting rack. Lay bacon over top and sprinkle on spices. Place in 375 degree oven.

Cooking time will vary depending on the size of the rabbit, comparable to cooking times for chicken. Figure on 1 1/2 hours for small rabbits and 3-4 hours for large ones. It is best to check on the rabbit at least once per hour.

Rabbit was a much more common part of the American diet 100 years ago. It can still be purchased from butcher shops, but is more commonly acquired on hunting expeditions. Rabbits vary in size from 1 1/2 to 12 pounds. Nevertheless, your choice of rabbit may be limited to what comes into the range of your rifle. The jack-rabbit described in the Laura Ingalls Wilder book, "On the Shores of Silver Lake" was of the larger variety.

When the Ingalls' guest, Mrs. Boast, asked why the rabbit tasted so uncommonly good, it was found out that it was roasted with strips of salt-pork laid over the top. As salt-pork is less common and less esteemed in our own day and age, we have substituted bacon, but feel free to use the authentic ingredient.