Any good recipes for Rabbit?

[Dover]

I just spotted it in my grocery store's frozen section and thought I'd try it. It comes
raw, and is described as "tender, young, cut-up white meat with giblets".

I've never cooked rabbit before so need some advice and recipes.

Thanks!

[sandnsea]

1. Like fricasse

My mother floured and browned the rabbit, and then simmered it for a half hour in a kind of thick gravy. Yummy.

[Dover]

2. That does sound good and is similar to a recipe that was on the box.

But I decided I didn't want the flour this time.

I perused some online recipes for rabbit stew and then just kind of made up my own.
It turned out so amazingly good that I'm a little surprised (just one of those magical cooking
moments when everything comes together just right) and am ready to make it again tomorrow!

I wrote it down so I'd remember what I did. Here it is:



Rabbit Stew/Casserole

1 rabbit chopped into parts/with giblets
2 Red or White Med. Potatoes
1 large red onion, cut in rings
2 carrots chopped
2 lg. Cloves garlic chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 C. canned or fresh cranberries
½ apple sliced/peeled
2 bacon slices, chopped into a few pieces
3 T. olive oil
3 T. butter
1 C. white wine
1 C.pork or beef broth
1 T. sweet honey mustard (or Dijon)
fresh rosemary sprigs
ground sage
ground fennel
five spice
Salt/white pepper


In a skillet heat 3 T. of olive oil and 3 T. butter.
Add garlic and 1/2 onion and cook down until transluscent.
Add spices as desired.
Brown the meat in skillet (a few minutes on each side). Remove from pan.
Add bacon slices to pan and cook a few minutes.
Add wine and some pork broth adding more spices as needed.
Add the honey mustard and mix in well.
Toss the remaining veggies in this sauce for a few minutes (chopped carrots, potatoes, remaining ½ onion, celery) until they’ve soaked up the sauce a bit.

Oil a covered casserole dish .
Place the browned rabbit and vegetables in the dish along with apple slices
and cranberries.
Pour the sauce from the skillet on top (add broth, wine or a bit of water if more is needed).
Cover and bake for 1 ½ - 2 hours at 350 degrees.

[Arkansas Granny]

3. When I was a kid we raised rabbits. We always cooked it just like chicken.

It's really good. All white meat with a slightly firmer texture than chicken. I used to love fried rabbit liver.

[Dover]

6. I would love to hear more about raising rabbits.

It is a lot like cooking chicken.

What I like about it is that while it may be considered 'white' meat, there are parts that
look and taste like dark meat (which is my favorite). And I liked the livers too!

It really was delicious, and as long as its available I'll continue to buy it.

[sandnsea]

7. We raised them in the back yard

in hutches. Like raised chikcen coops, sort of. They had chicken wire on the bottom and sides, and then covered lids on hinges. We fed them some kind of pellets. Lifted the lids and poured in pellets and water. My dad took care of the breeding, which amounted to putting the buck in the cage at the right time, and then moving it out until he wanted to breed again. Then we raised the bunnies, and yes, whacked them, skinned them and ate them. I don't really know why it never bothered me, it just never did. So I was his helper. It's not really hard though. This was in California, so weather wasn't a huge problem either. When it was very hot, we brought the bunnies inside. A person could actually raise quite a few in a very small area. Certainly enough to supplement a family diet.

[kestrel91316]

4. My Provencal Light cookbook by Martha Rose Shulman has some

yummy-sounding rabbit recipes, but it's at home. You can stew it with garlic and tomatoes and olives and herbs.

Rabbit used to be poor folk's food, but I priced one frozen at the only place in town I could find one last year, and it was $9/lb, so that little 3 lb bunny was $27 and I respectfully declined.

[Dover]

5. Yep. That must have been back when poor folks could bag their own rabbits,

This rabbit was about $3.60 per pound by a company called Pel-Freez.
Still expensive, but not as bad as you describe. If you can get two meals out it, it will
pay for itself.

[hippywife]

8. This thread has really gotten me curious to

try rabbit. I've toyed with the idea for a few years but haven't done it yet. It's a staple peasant food that is a part of my Italian heritage.

We have tons of wild rabbits around here. Maybe after the first frost, we can trap one or two.

[pengillian101]

9. Dover, and Hippy, here's a good one to try. Sounds familiar and yummy!

Sauteed Rabbit with Bacon and Sour Cream Ingredients

1 Young rabbit
5 Or 6 rather thick slices Bacon
1/2 c Flour
1 ts Salt
1/2 c Chicken or beef stock
1 1/2 ts Dry mustard
1 c Sour cream
1 ts Thyme
2 tb Chopped parsley
1/2 ts Freshly ground pepper
1 ts Salt

Instructions for Sauteed Rabbit with Bacon and Sour Cream

Cut the rabbit in serving pieces. Shake the pieces well in a plastic bag with the seasoned flour.

Saute the bacon until just crisp. Remove & keep it warm wrapped in absorbent paper.

Heat the bacon fat & brown the rabbit pieces in the fat on both sides. Reduce the heat & add the stock. Cover the pan & simmer 10 to 15 minutes, or until the rabbit is tender.

Transfer to a hot platter & skim off all but 2 Tbls. of fat from the pan. Add the sour cream, chopped parsley, salt & pepper. Stir over med heat till well mixed & heated through, but do not let it boil.

Spoon the sauce around the rabbit & serve with mashed potatoes.

File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/mmkah001.zip

[hippywife]

10. That sounds pretty good.

Husband and I are talking about actually doing this after a few really hard frosts. I think what I would do tho is to just brown the rabbit then put it back in the sauce and place in the oven for awhile. Except I think it would probably have to be more of a brown gravy without the sour cream, and maybe stir that into the sauce just before serving. Think that would work?

Thanx for the recipe! And thanx to Dover for the idea. :hi: