Rabbit head…Szechuan delicacy.
My favorite is rabbit curry, but it is excellent by we’d hot and allowed to rest 5 min. If cooked medium, it is tender and moist. When butchering, keep the front of hater whole, rather than remI’ve the fore leg, it also makes great sate.
Whole braised rabbit paella is also a treat. Impressive too.
That is definitely a concern. I once went so long it turned out a consistency my wife perceived as boiled chicken skin. 1.5 to 2 hours seems best but it partly depends on how long it takes to get up to temp. If you’re loading the bag with a hot caramelized onion mixture, cook times would be shorter versus going in cold. A pre bag and post bag sear would also firm up the texture.
Oooo. I’m going to do that!
One method you can try is to shock the cooked rabbit in ice bath and let the dissolved collagen re-set overnight in the fridge. When you serve it, just heat it to 100F, so the set collagen will melt.
David
I put rabbit in a paella once - the original paella valenciano was rabbit and snails. It wasn’t hard to butcher once I got over that it looked like I was butchering a cat. Didn’t add much to the paella frankly, but I plan to try some of the options. One of my favorites is braised rabbit in a tomato base sauce- sort of like osso bucco type sauce.
Rabbit stifado is great as well. Molyvos in NYC does a nice version on occasion during the winter months. I usually order it when available. It’s easy to make at home as well.
Also, if you guys are ever in Quebec City, there’s a restaurant named Le Lapin Sauté that specializes in rabbit dishes. It’s worth a try.
Did you have some rational to butcher rather than put it on whole?
I pre-braised until almost done and placed the whole rabbit on the paella. I thought it added a nice gamey aspect. My version was more red than yellow - more paprika and chorizo and moderate on the saffron.
Made another rabbit this weekend.
I brine the rabbit in a 5% salt solution with darjeeling tea. Cold smoke it with more darjeeling tea leafs, instead of using wood chips. Stuff the rabbit with more tea leafs and porcini mushrooms and sous vide at 145 for 3 hours. Shock the rabbit in ice water and shred the meat. I served it with tea scented white gazpacho with toasted pine nuts and pickled mustard seeds.
It went really well with a bottle of 02 lambray.
David
Recipe?
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I steal this recipe from Homaro Cantu at Moto. He did a shredded rabbit meat with almond gazpacho, toasted almond, freeze dried grapes and frozen olive oil. I do not have the last two ingredients. So I decide to put my own “TEAwist”…The tea really makes the dish a better pair with burg.
David
From Molyvos.
3 1/2 pound rabbit cut into 4 leg/thigh joints and 1 loin, tied Salt and fresh pepper, to taste
1/2 cup olive oil
2 cups red onion slices
2 cloves garlic, sliced thin
1 1/2 cups dry red wine
1 cup Mavrodaphne (a sweet Greek red wine)
1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
2 cups rabbit stock or canned chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 cinnamon stick
3 whole cloves
1 kernel allspice
2 teaspoons butter, divided
1 1/2 cups pearl onions, peeled
1 teaspoon sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Season the rabbit well. Heat the oil in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the rabbit; cook 8-10 minutes, turning pieces to brown on all sides. Remove rabbit to a platter and discard half of the oil. Return the pan to low heat and add red onions and a pinch of salt. Increase the heat to medium and saute onions until they are lightly wilted and slightly colored, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and stir. Deglaze the pan with both wines. Over moderately high heat, reduce liquid until the pan is almost dry, about 10 minutes. Add tomatoes and stir. Return rabbit to pan with any juices from the platter. Add stock; season lightly. Combine bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and allspice and tie in a piece of cheesecloth. Add this sachet to the pan and bring liquid to a boil. Cover and place the pan in the oven. Simmer the rabbit in the oven for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, place half the butter in a pan over medium heat and add the pearl onions. Sprinkle with sugar and saute, shaking the pan, until the onions are golden brown, about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water and cook 10 minutes more. Set aside. After the rabbit cooks for 35 minutes, add the pearl onions and return covered pan to the oven. The rabbit is done when the meat gives easily when pierced with a fork. Remove pan from the oven and place on the stove over medium heat. Remove rabbit to a warm platter. Bring pan liquid to a boil; whisk in remaining butter. Check seasonings and add salt, pepper or sweet wine, if needed. Ladle sauce over rabbit and serve.
Looks like a great recipe, Joe.
I’ve got Michael Psilakis’ “How to Roast a Lamb”. Lots of great looking Greek game recipes including rabbit. I need to make more of them.
I make a braised rabbit dish.
Brown rabbit pieces remove from pot and add lardon of prosciutto and brown those and remove.
Meanwhile roast 2 red peppers, skin and seed and cut into julienne.
Braise rabbit in stock and white wine about 40 minutes
Add red peppers, prosciutto and cook 10 min
in a small sauté pan heat 1/2C of olive oil add 4 cloves chopped garlic brown lightly add a bunch of chopped flat leaf parsley and 1/4C red wine vinegar. Add this to the rabbit braise and serve.
Making braised rabbit - garlic, red onion, Vermouth, butter S/P and oil
Cooking no. Eating yes.
The Le Coucou dish is great.
not recently, but with a bottle of Canon we made a cassoulet
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