Roast Rabbit With Thyme Food

ROAST RABBIT WITH THYME

Steps:

• Ask your butcher to joint the rabbit, cutting the legs into two pieces, the saddle into three and the shoulders and front into two. Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7.
• Put the rabbit in a large roasting tin, season and add 1 tbsp of the thyme leaves. Add the oil and toss until the rabbit is well coated. Roast for 20 mins.
• Add the onions or shallots and the garlic, then stir well and roast for another 15 mins, stirring again halfway through. Sprinkle over the remaining thyme before serving.

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.

SLOW ROASTED RABBIT

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Season the rabbit with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the rabbit pieces and brown on all sides. Place in a 9x13 inch baking dish. In a medium bowl, combine the sugar, onion, ketchup, garlic, paprika, Worcestershire sauce and water; pour over the rabbit.
• Bake uncovered for 90 minutes in the preheated oven, basting frequently. Meat should be very tender when done.

THYME ROASTED CARROTS AND RABBIT BITS A LA MOUTARDE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Add the carrots to a large cast-iron pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the olive oil and add the garlic and thyme. Toss to combine, then roast until tender, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish.
• Meanwhile, heat a saute pan over medium-high heat. Pat the livers and kidneys dry, then split the hearts in half lengthwise and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 2 tablespoons butter to the pan and bring to a foam, then add the rabbit hearts and cook for 2 minutes. Add the livers and kidneys and cook on each side until golden but still rare, about 3 minutes more. Remove the rabbit bits from the pan and set aside.
• To the same pan, add the chicken stock, Dijon and whole-grain mustard and bring to a simmer. Add the remaining tablespoon butter and creme fraiche and stir until melted. Add the seared rabbit bits, chives and parsley. Stir until just combined and turn off the heat. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
• Spoon over the roasted carrots and garnish with the chervil.

ROASTED RABBIT FOR A SUNDAY DINNER

Steps:

• If rabbit is not already prepared, wash it and trim away any skin and unwanted parts. Most rabbits come with the kidneys and other organs, regardless of whether they are prepared. Reserve these.
• Mix sausage meat and breadcrumbs together, kneading in the rosemary. Stuff the chest cavity of the rabbit with the stuffing, and continue down the torso, leaving a firm mound of stuffing from chest-groin.
• Wrap bacon rashers around rabbit, securing at the back with toothpicks, to seal stuffing inches.
• Roast rabbit on a medium/low heat for 1 hour, turning from one side to the other regularly and basting with any leaked juices.
• Meanwhile, boil potatoes in lightly salted water until firm, but starchy on the outide. Drain.
• Remove rabbit from roasting tray and set aside. Add lard to tray - once melted, toss in the pearl onions (whole), the carrots (roughly chopped into large pieces) and the potatoes. Toss vegetables in meat juices and lard, then replace rabbit on top. Roast a further 30 minutes, spooning over the hot lard as required, or until onions begin to blacken and potatoes turn golden and crisp.
• Using a slotted spoon, remove and set aside the rabbit and vegetables, allowing each spoonful to drain any juices back into the roasting pan.
• Pour stock into pan and scrape the bottom to lift up any stuck pieces of meat or vegetable, and to thoroughly combine the stock with the juices.
• Pour mixed stock and juice into a pot, adding a sprig of rosemary and the reserved rabbit organs. Place rabbit and vegetables back in over on a very low setting to keep warm.
• When stock reaches a rolling boil, mix the teaspoon of flour with a little water to form a paste, and add to the stock. Once thick and rich, taste and season to preference. Strain stock to remove organs and rosemary.
• Serve rabbit, surrounded with the roasted vegetables, and with the stock offered on the side as a gravy. Goes beautifully with redcurrant jelly.

ROAST RABBIT WITH STUFFING

Steps:

• Rub the rabbit inside and out with a mixture of the lemon juice, fennel, sage, salt and pepper. Then refrigerate for at least two hours. In the meantime, prepare the stuffing.
• Melt butter in a saucepan. Add rice, then stirfy for a minute. Sir in water, salt, rosemary, pepper, nutmeg, allspice and cardamom. Cover and bring to a boil, then allow to simmer over medium/low heat for 15 minutes. Stir in almonds and onions, then set aside for stuffing.
• In the meantime, combine all the ingredients for the basting juice and set aside.
• Stuff rabbit, then sew closed. Place in a roasting pan with 1 cup water, then baste generously. Cover, then place in a 350 degree F. preheated oven. Roast for an hour, basting lavishly every 20 minutes. Remove pan cover, then cook and continue basting, using pan juices if basting juice is finished, for another hour or until meat turns tender. If rabbit is not brown, broil for a few minutes. Serve piping hot.
• Note: If you use wild rabbit, clean and wash it while wearing gloves. If animal is diseased this will ensure that the cook will not catch the disease. Roasting will kill any bacteria making the rabbit safe to eat. Also, to eliminate the wild taste, soak the cleaned animal for at least two hours in a cup of vinegar mixed with enough water to cover the rabbit.