Braised Rabbit Food

BRAISED RABBIT

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook rabbit in oil until lightly browned; remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute onion until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, thyme, pepper and bay leaf. , Return rabbit to pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until meat is tender and a thermometer reads 160°., Remove rabbit to a serving platter. Discard bay leaf. Combine the flour, lemon juice and water until smooth; stir into pan juice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with rabbit.

BEST BRAISED RABBIT

Steps:

• Heat the roaster or casserole over moderate heat and cook the bacon, stirring and turning it frequently, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Set the pan with bacon fat aside for a few moments.
• Cut the rabbit into serving pieces. Cut away and discard the belly meat.
• Add the salt, pepper, and flour to a brown paper bag. Add a few rabbit pieces to the bag and shake to coat with flour mixture; repeat with remaining rabbit pieces.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Heat the reserved bacon fat in the pan over high heat until it sputters.
• Brown the rabbit pieces on all sides, in batches; this should take about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a serving plate.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoon of fat and cook the onions in it until they are soft and translucent. Pour in the vinegar and chicken stock and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up any browned bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan.
• Return the rabbit with juices to the roaster or casserole. Add the drained bacon. Cover the vessel tightly, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the rabbits are tender but not falling apart.
• Serve the rabbit directly from the roaster or casserole, or arrange the pieces attractively on a heated platter.

BRAISED RABBIT

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large, heavy based frying pan with a lid. Add the rabbit pieces and cook over a high heat, turning until browned all over. Remove to a plate.
• Add the chorizo, onion, garlic, carrot and clery and cooke over a medium heat until vegetables are well cooked (about 10 minutes).
• Add the tomatoes, wine, water and thyme to the pan and bring to a boil. Return the legs to the pan and put the lid on. Cook for about 1 1/2 hours at a low simmer or until the rabbit is tender.
• Add the potatoes to the pan and cook a further 30 minutes (or until almost cooked through).
• Stir through the peas and cook a further 5 minutes or so.
• I leave the lid off in the final 10 minutes or so to make sure the sauce is a nice consistency.
• Ladle into a couple of shallow bowls and sprinkle the parsley over before serving.

BRAISED RABBIT WITH ROOT VEGETABLES

Steps:

• Preheat oven 350 degrees F.
• In a deep baking dish, layer the tomatoes, carrots, celery and onion. Distribute the bunch of thyme throughout the vegetables.
• Heat grapeseed oil in a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Season the raw rabbit with salt and pepper and then lightly dust with flour; sear on each side for 1 minute. Remove the rabbit from the heat and deglaze pan with the white wine.
• Place the rabbit on top of the vegetables, and pour the deglazing liquid over the top. Place the baking dish in the oven for 1 hour.
• Serve rabbit over the vegetables.

BRAISED RABBIT WITH CARAMELIZED RADICCHIO AND SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In a shallow bowl, combine flour, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Dredge the rabbit in the seasoned flour and set aside.
• In a large pot, fry the olive oil, garlic, rosemary and chilli to infuse the oil with their flavours. Remove the rosemary and chilli and set aside. Place the seasoned rabbit pieces in the pan and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, on both sides, until the meat is golden brown. Place the reserved rosemary, whole chillies and garlic back into the pan and add the olives, wine and chicken stock. Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
• When cooked, remove the rabbit from the pot with a slotted spoon and place on a platter. Reduce the remaining liquid on a high heat until it coats the back of the spoon and pour over the rabbit platter. Garnish with parsley. Serve with Caramelized Radicchio and Salsa Verde.
• Slice the radicchio heads in half and saute in 2 tablespoons olive oil over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping periodically.
• In the meantime blend together the parsley, capers, anchovies, lemon and 1 cup olive oil in a blender. Drizzle the salsa verde over the cooked radicchio and serve with the rabbit.

BRAISED RABBIT WITH OLIVES

Steps:

• Rinse rabbit and pat dry; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat 4 tablespoons oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add rabbit to pot and brown, turning often, about 8 minutes per batch. Transfer rabbit to bowl. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil to pot. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Mix in potatoes, bell peppers, tomatoes, olives, celery, capers, garlic, and thyme; cook 5 minutes. Mix in vinegar and 1/4 cup water. Add rabbit. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Spoon some of vegetable mixture over rabbit. Cover and simmer until rabbit is tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon vegetables into large dish. Top with rabbit. Garnish with parsley and serve warm.

BRAISED RABBIT WITH GRAINY MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Rinse rabbit pieces and remove any fat, then pat dry and divide into 3 batches. Mix together salt and pepper in a small bowl for seasoning rabbit.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot. Season first batch of rabbit, then add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and brown rabbit on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer browned rabbit to a flameproof roasting pan just large enough to hold all 3 batches in 1 layer. Season and brown remaining 2 batches of rabbit in same manner, transferring to roasting pan and adding more oil to skillet between batches if necessary. Reserve skillet.
• Add broth to roasting pan, then cover pan tightly with foil and braise rabbit in oven 15 minutes.
• While rabbit is braising, pour off any fat from skillet, then add onions, garlic, thyme, and 3 tablespoons butter and cook over moderately low heat, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Pour mixture over rabbit and continue to braise, covered tightly, until rabbit is tender when pierced with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Transfer rabbit to an ovenproof serving dish and keep warm, covered loosely with foil, in turned-off oven.
• Straddle roasting pan over 2 burners and boil braising liquid until reduced to about 3 1/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup reduced liquid to a bowl and whisk in mustards. Add mustard mixture to reduced liquid in pan, whisking to incorporate. Dissolve cornstarch in water and whisk into sauce, then simmer, whisking, 2 minutes. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to sauce and swirl pan until incorporated. Season sauce with salt and pepper and pour over rabbit.
• *Available at butcher shops, specialty foods shops, and some supermarkets (may require special order).

BRAISED RABBIT, PORTUGUESE STYLE ("COELHO ESTUFADO")

Steps:

• Cut up the rabbit into pieces (hind legs, front legs, etc.) as you would cut up a whole chicken, into approximately 9 pieces. Place into a large bowl.
• Add the garlic, parsley, bay leaf, piri-piri, salt, pepper and beer (or enough wine to cover the rabbit) to the rabbit. Mix around to combine everything.
• Cover and refrigerate to marinate for 1 day or at least overnight. The longer it marinates, the better it is! (I hate the gamey taste of wild rabbit - I use storebought rabbit).
• Cut up the onion and place into a pot with the olive oil. Saute the onion slightly.
• Add the rabbit a few pieces at a time to brown (careful not to crowd the pot - you want to brown them, not cook them at this point).
• Once all pieces are browned, add the rabbit marinade into the pot as well and enough water to cover the rabbit.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-high heat, cover (leave lid slightly off) and let the rabbit cook for approximately 2 hours, or until tender. Check for salt, pepper, garlic (I add lots because we love it!), little more paprika for colour - all to your taste. Don't let the liquid boil right off - it should end up cooking down to a "gravy". You may need to periodically add some water, but careful you don't add too much too late in the cooking - you don't want it to be swimming in liquid towards the end.
• Once rabbit is cooked, add the rice right to the pot (with the rabbit still in or remove and keep warm), add some additional water/salt/pepper if needed, and cook the rice right in the broth.
• Serve the rabbit over the rice. Enjoy!

BRAISED RABBIT, ITALIAN-STYLE

Steps:

• Rinse the rabbit pieces in cold water and pat dry.
• In a deep wide skillet with a lid, put the oil, celery, garlic, and the rabbit in a single layer. Cover and simmer over low heat for about 2 hours. Turn the meat once or twice. If some of the ingredients begin to scorch, add a little water.
• After 2 hours, the rabbit may have thrown off a lot of liquid. Uncover the pan, turn the heat up to medium, and cook until the liquid has evaporated, turning the meat from time to time.
• Add the wine, rosemary, salt and pepper. Simmer, uncovered, until the wine has evaporated.
• Dissolve the bouillon cube, tomato paste, and sugar in the warm water. Pour it over the rabbit, and cook gently for another 12 to 15 minutes, basting and turning the rabbit two or three times.
• Serve immediately, accompanied by polenta if desired.
• (The dish may be prepared entirely ahead of time. Reheat gently with 2 to 3 tablespoons of water over low heat, covered, turning the meat occasionally.).

BRAISED RABBIT WITH FRESH PAPPARDELLE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 325 F. Season rabbit with salt and pepper. In a large pot over medium heat, add oil followed by rabbit (everything but the wings) and sear until golden brown, 15 minutes. Delicately remove the rabbit when golden brown and set aside to rest.
• To the pan, add onion, celery and carrots and cook 10 minutes. Add garlic, tomato paste, sage and rosemary and cook 5 minutes. Continue by adding tomatoes, vinegar, and verjus and cook 5 more minutes. Add rabbit wings and dashi and bring to a boil. Add remaining rabbit and season with salt. Cover with parchment paper (cartouche) and place in the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Pull some rabbit meat off the bone along with braising liquid and place in a saucepan.
• Add 1 cup cooked pasta and toss with rabbit, parsley, Parmesan and butter. Gently cook pasta until glazed with sauce and appears sheen. Serve with additional rabbit and Parmesan shavings.

BRAISED RABBIT PAPPARDELLE

Steps:

• Heat the oil in a large pan. When hot, add the rabbit, brown on all sides, then remove from the pan and set aside.
• Add the bacon, onion and carrot to the pan and cook for 10 mins until soft. Add the garlic, rosemary and tomato purée, stir for 1-2 mins, then pour in the wine and chicken stock.
• Return the rabbit to the pan, season, cover with a lid and cook over a low heat for 1 hr until the rabbit is really tender.
• Remove the rabbit from the pan and shred the meat using 2 forks. Be careful to remove all small bones. Meanwhile, increase the heat under the pan and boil the liquid for 5 mins until reduced by half. Add the shredded meat and reduce the heat to low. Cook the pasta in a large pan of salted water following pack instructions. Drain, reserving a little pasta water to thin the sauce if necessary.
• Stir half the orange zest, mustard, cream and parsley into the rabbit sauce. Add the cooked pasta to the pan, toss everything well to coat and heat through for 1-2 mins. Serve in bowls with grated Parmesan, parsley leaves and the remaining orange zest.

BRAISED RABBIT BRUNSWICK STEW

Steps:

• Remove hind legs from rabbit; remove thigh bones.
• Combine herbs; sprinkle in thigh cavity.
• Season with salt and pepper; reserve.
• Trim off belly and front legs; cold smoke using desired wood for about 1 hour.
• Season rabbit loin; dice smoked pieces.
• Place butter in large pan; heat until hot.
• Add loin and smoked pieces; sear on all sides.
• Remove from pan; reserve.
• Place onion, carrot and celery in pan; cook until onion is caramelized.
• Return rabbit loin, smoked pieces and thigh to pan; add potatoes, stock and lima beans.
• Heat to boiling; cover.
• Place in 210 degree F oven; braise for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Remove rabbit loin, thighs, celery, carrot, onion and potatoes; reserve hot.
• Strain stock; place lima beans and smoked pieces in saute pan.
• Add tomato concassee and pinch of herbs; saute lightly.
• Add herbs to stock; heat until hot.
• Adjust seasoning.
• TO SERVE: Debone loin; reserve meat warm.
• Arrange celery and carrot batons on warm platter; lay thighs over.
• Arrange potatoes in two rows; place lima bean mixture in space between rows.
• Lay loins on beans.
• Pour stock over all.
• Serve with cornbread.

BRAISED RABBIT IN RED WINE ARGENTINE STYLE

Steps:

• Combine all Chimichurri Sauce ingredients except the oil and vinegar in a large mortar/pestle. Add the liquids once the herbs and seasonings are well pureed. Feel free to use a food processor if you must. Reserve.
• In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, brown the rabbit pieces in the oil, in batches if need be. Remove and reserve rabbit, saute the vegetables and herbs until onions are glassy and add rabbit back to pot.
• Add wine, bring to a slow boil and stir, then cover and cook, turning heat to low, for 90 minutes. Allow rabbit to cool in liquid with lid on for one hour at room temperature Then transfer rabbit to a work bowl, strain broth, pouring over the rabbit pieces and cover with plastic wrap, refrigerate.
• Remove rabbit from wine broth, bring broth to a boil over medium heat and reduce to sauce consistency. Allow rabbit to come to room temp while sauce is reducing, and grill or broil to heat through and crisp the rabbit pieces. Serve rabbit, covering the meat with the sauce and passing lots of chimmichuri at the table.