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Rabbit Recipes

Braised Rabbit with Parsnips, Carrots, and Pearl Onions
        Images and text from Cooking in Sens

 

 

Serves: 8

 

Ingredients

  • 6 rabbit legs

  • 3 tbsp olive oil

  • 1 onion, coarsely chopped

  • 4 garlic cloves, chopped

  • 2 celery branches, sliced

  • 2 parsnips, chaos cut

  • 4 carrots, chaos cut

  • 1/2 tsp peppercorns

  • 2 bay leaves

  • 3-4 fresh sprigs of thyme

  • 1 large fresh sprig of oregano

  • 1 cup chicken broth

  • 1 cup German demi-sec white wine

  • 1/2 lb fresh pearl onions1 1/2 tbsp butter

 

 

Instructions

 

1. Brown the rabbit in the olive oil in a stove top to oven pan, remove and set aside. Add the onion, garlic and celery to the pan and saute for 2 minutes.

 

2. Add the parsnips, carrots, peppercorns, bay leaves, thyme, oregano and saute for 3 minutes. Pour over the chicken broth, bring to a boil, then top with reserved rabbit.

 

3. Pour the wine on top of the rabbit, cover and braise in a 350 F oven for 1 hour. Uncover and cook for an additional 20 minutes.

 

4. Blanch the pearl onions for about 1 minute in boiling water, remove, allow to cool and peel. Brown the onions in the butter and add to the rabbit for the last 20 minutes of cooking.

 

Wine pairing suggestion: Chenas

Rabbit in Mustard Sauce
             Images and text from Saveur.com

 

 

Serves: 8

 

Ingredients

  • 2 rabbits (about 2 1⁄2 lbs. each), each cut into 6 to 8 pieces

  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

  • 1⁄2 lb. pancetta or unsmoked bacon, cut into 1⁄4"-thick strips

  • 1 1⁄2 cups crème fraîche3⁄4 cup

  • Dijon mustard

  • 2 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh thyme

  • 2 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh sage

  • 2 tsp. black or yellow mustard seeds, crushed

  • 8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

  • 4 bay leaves

 

Instructions

 

1. Season rabbit generously with salt and pepper and place in a large bowl along with remaining ingredients. Mix together with your hands until rabbit pieces are coated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.

 

2. If rabbit has been chilled, allow it to come to room temperature. Heat oven to 400° and arrange a rack in the middle of oven. Divide rabbit in a single layer between 2 shallow roasting pans and top with any of the remaining marinade. Roast the rabbit, turning once and basting with pan juices occasionally, until the juices have reduced and rabbit is cooked through, about 55 minutes. Set oven to broil and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Serve rabbit with pan juices.

 

Pairing Note Try a rich, low-tannin red, such as the vibrant Justification 2007 from Justin Vineyards in California's Paso Robles region; it pairs well with the dish's spicy notes. — David Rosengarten

Honey Glazed Rabbit
             Images and text from Saveur.com

 

Tender, honey-glazed braised rabbit legs make for a satisfying meal, and they're easily paired with any seasonal vegetables. This dish is a staple on the menu at American Grocery, where chef Joe Clarke glazes the rabbit legs with local honey.

 

Serves: 4

 

Ingredients

  • 4 large rabbit legs

  • 1/2 cup good honey, local if you can get it

  • 1 sweet onion, chopped

  • 1 carrot, chopped

  • 2 celery ribs, chopped

  • 1 piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

  • 6 sprigs of thyme2 bay leaves

  • 4 parsley stems1 tsp. black peppercorns

  • 2 cups good quality chicken stock

  • 2 tbsp. canola oil

  • 2 tbsp. white balsamic vinegarKosher salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste

 

Instructions

 

1. Generously salt and pepper rabbit legs. Pre-heat oven to 325°.

2. Heat oil in a high-sided braising pan, wait for oil to get hot and quickly brown both sides of the rabbit legs. Remove legs and add onions and carrots to hot oil, being careful not to burn the browned bits left behind by the legs. Once onions have a little color, add remaining ingredients, including browned legs, and bring to a boil.

3. Place lid on pot and put into pre-heated oven. Braise legs until very tender, begin checking after about an hour.

4. Once legs are fork tender remove them carefully from the braising liquid and taste liquid for seasoning. Strain solids from liquid and return liquid to stove and reduce to a glaze. It may be necessary to adjust honey or salt levels. The glaze should be syrupy but not thick and not be too salty or too sweet. The acid in the vinegar should help balance the glaze.

5. Glaze legs and serve with the best quality local vegetables you can find.

 

Note: In the restaurant Chef Joe Clarke will often confit the Rabbit in duck fat but he has adapted this recipe for the home cook. Both methods work wonderfully for this very lean protein.

Beer Braised Rabbit
 Recipe and image from: The Growler

 

Ingredients

  • 1 rabbit, cut into 6 pieces

  • 1/2 lb ground pork or sausage meat – OR- 1/3 cup olive oil1 cup beer – featured beer pairing: Town Hall Brewery Dortmunder Local Export Lager

  • 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

  • 1 cup flavorful broth

  • 1 tsp caraway seeds

  • 1 tsp lemon peel, grated (Meyer lemons are lovely in this)

  • 1 tsp brown sugar

  • 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper

 

Instructions

 

Place rabbit pieces in a deep skillet, cover with pork sausage (or olive oil), then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer for 2 hours.Delicious! Serve with something to soak up the juices, like brown rice or mashed potatoes.

Bacon Wrapped Rabbit Loin with Bacon Strawberry Dressing

Recipie and Images from Civilized Caveman Cooking Creations

 

Prep time15 mins

Cook time15 mins

Total time 30 mins

Serves 3

 

Ingredients

 rabbit loins cleaned

1 lb bacon

1 lemonFresh sageFresh thymeSalt and pepper

1/2 cup strawberries

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 tbsp melted and strained pastured bacon fat

1 tsp djon mustardSplash of apple cider vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Instructions

 

Preheat your oven to 350 Degrees Farenheit.

 

Cut your bacon in half or to the length needed to wrap a loin, and lay them side by side slightly overlapping on your cutting boardPlace a rabbit loin in each one and generously season the rabbit and bacon with salt, pepper, thyme, and sage to your taste liking.

 

Once seasoned, roll them up tightly. I set mine up so the bacon met on the bottom where I seared them first to help them stay wrappedHeat your saute pan on the stove over medium high heat, you are going to sear the bacon to finish cooking it most of the way.

 

Once heated, add some bacon fat, or duck fat or any fat to the pan, and place your bacon wrapped rabbit with the bacon joint downYou are going to sear the rabbit on all sides cooking the bacon so prob 2-3 mins total, rotating as it sears.

 

Once all sides are seared, place your entire pan in the oven and cook for 5-6 minutes turning occasionallyRemove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. The loin should be medium-rare or pinkish when done.

 

While your rabbit is resting (after its exhausting weekend of delivering Easter baskets), take all the ingredients for your dressing and throw them in your food processor. Turn it on and let the magic happen until well blendedIf you want more bacon flavor, add more bacon fat. Problem solvedWhen done, slice your rabbit loin and plate on a bed of mixed greens and drizzle with your dressing.

 

Garnish with a lemon if you would like the citrus and enjoyAnd don’t worry Peter Cottontail has plenty of children to carry on his legacy of the Easter bunny next year. So don’t fret about eating him, Easter will still go on.

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