Baked Rabbit in Saffron Cream

The one-step principle (assemble, bake, baste and serve) is the only constant of this dish. Sometimes I eliminate the saffron. The garnish varies with the seasons: in spring, tiny peas or podded and peeled lima beans, parboiled for a few seconds; at the height of summer, garden tomatoes, peeled, seeded, cut into pieces and sautéed for a minute in a bit of olive oil over high heat, torn-up basil added halfway; in another menu context, quartered, butter-stewed artichoke hearts, alone or in co