Remove kidneys and liver from rabbit and reserve.

Simmer rabbit in stock with celery, carrot, onion, zest, herbs and peppercorns until back legs test tender, 1-2 hours.

To make the shortcrust pastry, sift flour and salt onto a marble pastry slab or workbench.

Chop butter into smallish pieces and toss lightly in flour.

Lightly rub to combine partly.

Make a well in centre and pour in water.

Using a pastry scraper, work water into flour until you have a very rough heap of buttery lumps of dough.

Using the heel of your hand, quickly smear pastry away from you across the workbench.

It will combine lightly.

Gather together, then press quickly into a flat cake and dust with a little flour.

Wrap pastry in cling wrap and refrigerate for 20-30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 200°C.

Line a 28cm x 18cm x 3cm lamington tin with the shortcrust pastry (reserve some pastry to make a latticed top) and bake blind for 20 minutes.

Remove pastry case from oven and allow to cool.

Once rabbit is cooked, allow it to cool completely in stock.

Once cooled, remove rabbit and set strained cooking liquid aside.

Strip all meat from carcass and cut into small pieces.

Discard bones.

Heat oil and lightly sauté bacon and mushrooms, then quickly sear reserved kidneys and liver.

Chop kidneys and liver and mix with rabbit meat, bacon, mushrooms and almonds in a bowl.

Mix in parsley and season well.

Cover with plastic film.

To make the sauce, cook butter and flour over a gentle heat to make a roux.

Gradually stir in reserved rabbit stock and bring to simmering point.

Add cream and lemon juice and simmer for 10 minutes, using a simmer mat to prevent sauce sticking.

Check for seasoning, then add enough sauce to meat to make a creamy, not sloppy, filling.

Allow to cool completely.

Reduce oven temperature to 180°C.

Spoon filling into pastry case (it will be easier to cut squares or wedges if filling is a maximum of 4 cm deep).

Scatter top with breadcrumbs and criss-cross strips of pastry over filling.

Brush pastry with beaten egg then bake for 15-20 minutes until pastry is well browned.

Serve warm or cold with mustard, chutney or pickled fruit.