Build a good fire using birch and oak. Let it burn down to small flames and embers. Place a big flat stone, 2-3 inches thick, on top of the embers and build a new fire on top of the stone and let it burn down again. Mix the marinate together in a metal bowl and place it in a water bath until it’s fluent. Remove the rabbits from the brine and pat them dry with a paper towel. Part it into five (front legs, back legs and the back piece) Apply the marinade and let it rest for 10 min.

Remove the whole rabbit from the brine, and pat it dry with a paper towel. Mix flour, salt and water into a dough. Roll it out flat on a piece of baking paper – it should be at least ½ an inch thick. Place the rabbit on a bed of thyme, rosemary and garlic (safe a little of everything for sautéing and 1 clove of garlic for the polenta) Fold the dough around it, and make sure it doesn’t break when doing so. We want to keep ALL the juice inside when cooking

Put the kettle on to boil. Grind the rabbit meat and bacon and mix it together. Season with the paprika, the chopped herbs, a few gratings of nutmeg and a little salt and pepper, then use a fork to mash it all up. Put out your bowls of flour, beaten egg and breadcrumbs. Carefully put the quail's eggs into a small pan. Once the kettle boils, pour in the boiling water straight away and cook for 2 minutes, no longer. Move the pan to the sink and run cold water over the eggs for 2 to 3 minutes. Tap, roll and – ever so gently – peel the shells off them. Do it under running water if it helps. You'll get quicker at peeling them as you go.

Cook the ham hocks and make the jelly: Place the hocks in a deep saucepan, cover with water and bring to the boil, removing the impurities. Top the water up and add the carrot, leek, celery, two sprigs of thyme, peppercorns and coriander seeds. Simmer for about 3 hours until the ham is cooked. Pass the liquid through a fine sieve and measure 1L of the cooking liquid. Soak the gelatin in cold water and add it to the 1L of warm stock. Flake the ham meat from the bone and remove the fat.

Bring the water to boil in a big pot, add salt and stir until it is dissolved. Add everything except the ice water and put the lid on. Let the brine cool off for 6-8 hours until it gets a dark brown color. Pour in the ice water and mix it good. Wait for 30 min and put in the rabbits. Let them soak for 8-24 hours.