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Rabbit Recipes

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Baked Whole Rabbit

• 1 wild rabbit
• 2 tbsp sage
• 1 small bag of pearl onions peeled and cut in half
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• Salt and Pepper
• 10 pieces Bacon

1. If Rabbit is wild, soak in white vinegar and water (1/5 Vinegar to 4/5 water) for at least 1 hour. I prefer to soak it over night. This will remove any overly gamey taste to the meat. This step is not needed for store bought or farm raised rabbit.


2. Because Rabbit is such a lean meat, the use of Bacon - a very fatty meat - will keep the Rabbit moist while adding a nice flavor. Place 5 pieces of bacon on the bottom of a baking pan so they create a base to put the Rabbit on.


3. Remove Rabbit from vinegar water and rinse well. Rub with Sage and place Rabbit on the bacon in pan. Sprinkle remaining Sage over Rabbit.


4. Wrap the bacon on the bottom of the pan up and around the Rabbit. Because the Rabbit is wet, the bacon will stick temporarily. Place remaining 5 pieces of bacon over the top of the Rabbit so the ends overlap the bacon from the bottom.


5. Peel the pearl onions and cut in half. Place them and the minced garlic around the Rabbit in the pan. Add enough water so there is 1/2 inch in bottom of pan. This water can be replaced with Chicken Broth for added flavor.


6. Back for 2 1/2 hours at 375 degrees, checking and basting every 1/2 hour. Add more water or Chicken Broth as needed so pan does not go dry.

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Beer-Braised Rabbit

• 2 - 2 1/2 lbs rabbit, cut up
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and halved
• 3 - 4 carrots, peeled and bias-cut in 1 inch pieces
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 1 cup beer
• 1/4 cup chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1/3 cup cold water
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

1. In a crock-pot, place potatoes, carrots and onion.


2. Salt and pepper The Rabbit and brown on all sides


3. Place in crock pot on top of vegetables.


4. Combine beer, chili sauce, brown sugar, and garlic. Pour over meat.


5. Cover and cook on high heat setting for 3 1/2 - 4 hours.


6. Remove meat and drain vegetables, pouring liquid into measuring cup.


7. Add beer, water, or broth to this liquid to make 1 1/2 cups.


8. Pour this liquid into a saucepan, and return meat and vegetables to the crock pot.


9. Mix 1/3 cup water with 3 tbs flour in a jar or any other container with a lid and shake until smooth.


10. Stir gravy mxixture into saucepan with liquid and allow to thicken - stirr constantly!


11. Serve sauce over meat and vegetables, sprinkle with paprika and garnish with parsley if desired.

If you do not have a crock pot or prefer to bake in oven, brown Rabbit meat in a frying pan and follow instruction above using an oven proof casserole dish. Bake at 350°F for approx 1 1/2 hours, or until meat and vegetables are tender.

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Bunny Burgers

• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 350g/12oz minced rabbit
• 100g/4oz minced pork belly
• 4 fresh sage leaves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7.


2. For the chips, bring a large pan of salted water to the boil.


3. Add the potatoes and boil for five minutes.


4. Drain, then toss in the olive oil.


5. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper and spread out on a baking tray.


6. Transfer to the oven for about 20 minutes, or until golden-brown and cooked through.


7. For the burgers, mix together all of the burger ingredients apart from the olive oil.


8. Season with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.


9. Divide the mixture in half and shape into two large burgers.


10. Heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry the burgers for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown and cooked through.


11. Serve the burger with the chips and tomato ketchup.

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Rabbit and pancetta pot pies

Ingredients

For the flaky pastry

• 175g/6oz plain flour
• pinch of salt
• 65g/2 1/4 oz cold, unsalted butter, cut into 5-10mm cubes
• 65g/2 1/4 oz cold lard, cut into 5mm-1cm cubes
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 free-range egg, beaten, to glaze

For the filling

• 25g/1oz unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp sunflower oil
• 2 rabbits (1.5-2kg/3lb 5oz-4lb 8oz total), jointed
• 175g/6oz diced pancetta
• 1 onion, sliced
• 1 garlic clove, sliced
• 1 bulb fennel, trimmed and sliced
• 175ml/6fl oz white wine
• 600ml/20fl oz chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 300ml/10fl oz double cream
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• salt and black pepper

1. Combine the flour and salt in a large bowl.


2. Put the butter and lard in a separate bowl, mixing them together loosely.


3. Once mixed, take one quarter of the butter and lard mixture and rub it into the flour lightly with your fingertips.


4. Combine the lemon juice and 130ml/4fl oz of water and mix lightly into the flour to form a soft dough.


5. Roll out the dough on a well-floured surface to a rectangle, about 10x30cm/4x12in.


6. Take another quarter of the butter and lard mixture and using your finger tips, "dot" evenly over the top two-thirds of the pastry rectangle.


7. Now fold the empty bottom third up and the top third down over it, as if folding a letter.


8. Turn the dough 90° and seal the edges by pressing down with your fingers.


9. Roll out the dough and repeat the dotting and folding three times to use all of the fat.


10. Wrap the dough in cling film/Saran wrap and place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.


11. For the filling, heat a large oven proof casserole dish over a high heat and add the butter and oil.


12. Place the Rabbit meat in the casserole dish and cook until the meat is brown on all sides.


13. Remove the Rabbit meat from the pan and set aside.


14. Add the pancetta to the pan, reduce the heat a little and cook for four minutes, or until golden-brown and beginning to crisp around the edges.


15. Remove pancetta fromt he pan and add to the Rabbit.


16. Turn the heat to low. Add the onion, garlic and fennel to the pan and cook gently for 2-3 minutes.


17. Add the wine, increase the heat and let it bubble for a couple of minutes, scraping the base of the pan with a spatula to release any caramelised bits.


18. Return the Rabbit and pancetta to the pan.


19. Add the stock and bay leaf, bring to a simmer, cover and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hours, until the rabbit is tender.


20. Remove the Rabbit from the pan and leave until cool enough to handle, then strip the meat from the bones and put into a large bowl.


21. Bring the contents of the pan to the boil and boil to reduce the volume of liquid by half.


22. Stir in the cream and bring back to the boil.


23. Add the parsley, taste the sauce and season with salt and pepper as required.


24. Return the Rabbit meat to the pan and turn to coat in the sauce.


25. Divide the filling between four individual pie dishes.


26. Leave to cool.


27. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F


28. On a floured surface, roll out the pastry to about 5mm thick.


29. Brush the edges of the pie dishes with beaten egg and cut pieces of pastry to place over each.


30. Press round the edges to seal and trim off the excess pastry neatly.


31. Brush the top of the pies with more egg.


32. Bake for 20–30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden-brown and the filling bubbling.


33. Leave to settle for 10 minutes or so, then serve, with plain boiled potatoes, carrots and a green vegetable.