1 whole rabbit (about 1 1/2 kilos with the head and skin removed)
1 cup red wine vinegar
1 lemon
3 large artichokes
2 large cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
115 gr. fatty proscuitto, chopped very finely
4 narrow strips lean proscuitto
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon (or 1 1/2 tsp. dried tarragon)
5 Tbsp. olive oil
about 2 1/2 cups dry white wine
Rinse the rabbit thoroughly and discard the liver. Place the rabbit in a large bowl containing 4 cups of cold water and the wine vinegar. Let stand for 1 hour.
Cut the lemon in half and place in a large bowl of cold water. Add the whole artichokes to the bowl and let soak for 30 minutes. Clean the artichokes and then cut them into small pieces using the body and stems (but making sure to have removed all of the fine hairs near the heart). Place the artichoke pieces in a clean bowl. To this bowl add the garlic and the fatty proscuitto bits. Add salt and pepper to taste, add the tarragon and mix well.
When the rabbit has soaked for 1 hour, rinse it thoroughly in cold running water and then dry with paper towels. Stuff the large cavity of the rabbit with the artichoke mixture and then sew up completely with a needle and thread. With a larding needle, lard each leg of the rabbit with a strip of proscuitto.
Pour the olive oil into a 35 x 22 cm. glass baking dish and then put in the rabbit. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper and then pour in the wine (the wine should cover about 2/3 of the rabbit). Place the baking dish in an oven that has been preheated to 190 degrees Celsius and bake until all of the wine has evaporated (1 1/2 - 2 hours), turning the rabbit twice during this time.
Take the baking dish out of the oven and remove the thread from the rabbit. Transfer to a serving dish and set aside to keep warm. Transfer the juices from the baking pan to a saucepan and simmer over a low heat for 15 minutes. Slice the rabbit like a loaf and serve with some of the reduced sauce.