Bob Terwilliger virtualgoth@die_spammer.biz said:But does anyone out there have a favorite recipe for rabbit that they'd like
to share?
Here are my three favourite rabbit recipes. There are others that are
good, maybe just as good, but none are better!
A truly wonderful rabbit and garlic recipe from the great Fergus
Henderson's _Nose to Tail Eating_.
Rabbit and Garlic
To feed ten
There was a wonderful rabbit I ate in Barcelona, which was dry but wet,
salty but not too salty, and above all garlicky. This recipe came out
of attempting to recreate it. In fact, except for the garlic it is
nothing like it, but still delicious none the less.
2 healthy splashes of olive oil
2 tame rabbits, chopped into sections (if you don't have a cleaver or a
heavy knife, ask your butcher)
sea salt and pepper
300 g smoked streaky bacon, cut into spirited chunks and rind reserved
24 shallots, peeled but kept whole
60-80 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
300 ml dry sherry
600 ml white wine
1 litre chicken stock
2 bay leaves
a bundle of fresh thyme and parsley tied together
Get a large ovenproof pot with a lid, place on the heat, and pour in
enough olive oil to just cover the bottom. Season the rabbit pieces
with salt and pepper and when the oil is hot brown the rabbit. When you
are happy with the hue, remove them from the pot (if all the oil has
gone with them add another splash). Put in the bacon, its skin, and the
shallots, allow to sizzle, and stir for 10 minutes, not letting them
burn. Now return the rabbit to the pot and add the garlic, sherry,
wine, stock, bay leaves, and finally the bundle of thyme and parsley.
Check the seasoning. Bring to a boil, straight away reduce to a simmer,
place the lid on and place the pot into a warm to hot oven for
approximately 1 1/2 hours, but keep an eye on it and check the meat for
giving qualities with a sharp knife (not quite but soon to fall off the
bone).
Serve hot straight from the pot, encouraging your fellow diners to suck
the flesh from the unpeeled garlic cloves, which will now be sweet and
delicious. For the juices you will need both bread and napkins.
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A very good recipe from Café de Fédérations in Lyons Patricia Wells
included in her _Bistro Cooking_.
Lapin à la Moutarde Café de Fédérations
Café de Fédérations' Rabbit with Mustard Sauce
1 fresh rabbit (about 2 1/2 pounds; 1.25 kg), cut into 7 to 8 serving
pieces (or substitute chicken)
1/2 cup (12.5 cl) imported Dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon (1/2 ounce; 15 g) unsalted butter
1 bottle (75 cl) dry white wine
2 medium onions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon superfine flour, such as Wondra
Several branches of fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 imported bay leaf
Chopped fresh parsley
1. Evenly brush one side of each rabbit piece with some of the mustard.
Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the oil and butter in a
large nonreactive skillet over medium heat. When the fat is hot but not
smoking, add several of the rabbit pieces, mustard side down; do not
crowd the pan. You will have to cook this in several batches. Cook
until brown, about 10 minutes. Turn the rabbit and brush the second
side with additional mustard. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until
golden brown, another 10 minutes. Transfer the rabbit to a large
platter and continue cooking in this manner until all the rabbit is
browned.
2. Add several tablespoons of the wine to the skillet and scrape up any
browned bits that stick to the pan. Add the onions and cook, stirring,
until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat.
Sprinkle the flour over the onions and stir to coat. Pour in the
remaining wine, the thyme, and bay leaf. Add all the rabbit pieces.
Return the skillet to medium heat and simmer until the rabbit is very
tender and the sauce begins to thicken, about 1 hour.
3. Transfer the rabbit and sauce to a warmed platter and sprinkle with
parsley. Serve immediately, over buttered fresh noodles or rice.
Yield: 6 servings
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A recipe for a simple rabbit stew. It can also be made with chicken.
The recipe is from Frances Bissell's _The Real Meat Cookbook_.
Coniglio alla Reggiana
1 rabbit, jointed
1/2 oz/15 g butter
1/2 oz/15 g lard or bacon fat or olive oil
1 onion, peeled and chopped
1 or 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and crushed
1 celery stalk, trimmed and sliced
1/2 lb/230 g ripe tomatoes, peeled seeded and chopped
1/2 pt/280 ml dry white wine
salt
pepper
To serve:
fresh parsley or chervil
In a deep frying pan or flame-proof casserole, brown the rabbit pieces
in the butter and lard, remove and put to one side. Lightly brown the
onion, then add the garlic, celery and tomatoes. Simmer for 5 minutes,
then put the rabbit pieces on top, pour on the wine and season lightly.
Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the
meat is tender. Serve sprinkled with parsley or chervil.
