Easter's commin!
Posted: Wed Mar 23, 2005 1:10 am
We had a stray rabbit that was hanging around work, I had been fatening him up looking forward to the feast, but alas, he's run away. No matter, being in a metropolis, you can buy damn near anything. The problem is finding the right recipe. Here's what I've come up with, whatdya guys think?:
mmm, beer brased wabbit:
3 tablespoons oil
2 whole rabbits, skin on and cut into individual pieces
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound ground andouille or other pork sausage
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups amber beer
4 cups brown chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
In a large, oven-proof pan with a lid, heat the oil. Season the rabbit and 1/2 cup of the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the rabbit pieces in the seasoned flour, coating each side completely. Lay the rabbit, skin side down in the oil and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the rabbit from the pan and set aside. Add the sausage and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add thyme and bay leaves. Add the rabbit to the vegetable mixture. Add the beer and chicken stock. Bring the liquid up to a simmer and cover. Cook the rabbit until very tender, about 30 to 35 minutes, skimming off the fat. Remove the rabbit pieces from the pan and set aside. Blend the remaining flour and butter together into a smooth paste. Whisk the paste into the hot liquid. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rabbit back to the pan and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve the rabbit with the potato gratin and garnish with parsley
or possibly:
1 (4 1/2 pound) rabbit, head, tail and feet removed and gutted, liver reserved, have your butcher remove all of the bones from the rabbit for you.
1/2 cup lardo, or fat back
1/2 bulb fennel, cored and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 links Italian sausage, removed from its casings
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
Coarse salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Season the inside and outside of the rabbit with pepper, and set aside.
In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan heat 4 tablespoons of the lardo until smoking. Add the fennel and the garlic and cook over medium heat until softened and light brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until just cooked, about 6 to 8 more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Stuff the rabbit cavity with the fennel, garlic, and the remaining lardo, cut into 1/8-inch dice. Truss the rabbit to seal the openings and place in a casserole. Baste with the wine and lemon juice, and sprinkle with the coarse salt.
Cook in the oven for 1 hour, turning once after 30 minutes of cooking, and occasionally basting with the pan juices. Remove from the oven, allow to sit 5 minutes. Serve in 1/2-inch slices with pan juices emulsified with extra virgin olive oil.
... and my original plan, good old Hasenpfeffer:
1 Dressed Rabbit
2 ts Salt
2 To 3 cup vinegar
1/4 ts Pepper
2 To 3 cup water
1 ts Whole pickling spices
1/2 c Granulated sugar
1/2 ts Kitchen Bouquet
1 Sliced onion.
Combine all ingredients (except the Rabbit) and pour over rabbit. Let stand
in a cool place for 2 days. Remove rabbit and drain and dry. Roll in flour, brown in hot fat. Gradually add 1 cup of solution. Cover and simmer
until tender. Thicken remaining liquid for gravy.
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mmm, beer brased wabbit:
3 tablespoons oil
2 whole rabbits, skin on and cut into individual pieces
1/2 cup plus 3 tablespoons flour
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 pound ground andouille or other pork sausage
2 cups thinly sliced onions
1 1/2 pounds white mushrooms, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
2 cups amber beer
4 cups brown chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
In a large, oven-proof pan with a lid, heat the oil. Season the rabbit and 1/2 cup of the flour with salt and pepper. Dredge the rabbit pieces in the seasoned flour, coating each side completely. Lay the rabbit, skin side down in the oil and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the rabbit from the pan and set aside. Add the sausage and brown for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the onions. Season with salt and pepper. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until tender. Add the mushrooms and garlic. Saute for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add thyme and bay leaves. Add the rabbit to the vegetable mixture. Add the beer and chicken stock. Bring the liquid up to a simmer and cover. Cook the rabbit until very tender, about 30 to 35 minutes, skimming off the fat. Remove the rabbit pieces from the pan and set aside. Blend the remaining flour and butter together into a smooth paste. Whisk the paste into the hot liquid. Bring the liquid to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Add the rabbit back to the pan and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Season with salt and pepper if needed. Serve the rabbit with the potato gratin and garnish with parsley
or possibly:
1 (4 1/2 pound) rabbit, head, tail and feet removed and gutted, liver reserved, have your butcher remove all of the bones from the rabbit for you.
1/2 cup lardo, or fat back
1/2 bulb fennel, cored and diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 links Italian sausage, removed from its casings
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dry white wine
1 lemon, juiced
Coarse salt
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
Season the inside and outside of the rabbit with pepper, and set aside.
In a 12 to 14-inch saute pan heat 4 tablespoons of the lardo until smoking. Add the fennel and the garlic and cook over medium heat until softened and light brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the sausage and cook until just cooked, about 6 to 8 more minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Stuff the rabbit cavity with the fennel, garlic, and the remaining lardo, cut into 1/8-inch dice. Truss the rabbit to seal the openings and place in a casserole. Baste with the wine and lemon juice, and sprinkle with the coarse salt.
Cook in the oven for 1 hour, turning once after 30 minutes of cooking, and occasionally basting with the pan juices. Remove from the oven, allow to sit 5 minutes. Serve in 1/2-inch slices with pan juices emulsified with extra virgin olive oil.
... and my original plan, good old Hasenpfeffer:
1 Dressed Rabbit
2 ts Salt
2 To 3 cup vinegar
1/4 ts Pepper
2 To 3 cup water
1 ts Whole pickling spices
1/2 c Granulated sugar
1/2 ts Kitchen Bouquet
1 Sliced onion.
Combine all ingredients (except the Rabbit) and pour over rabbit. Let stand
in a cool place for 2 days. Remove rabbit and drain and dry. Roll in flour, brown in hot fat. Gradually add 1 cup of solution. Cover and simmer
until tender. Thicken remaining liquid for gravy.
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