Braised Rabbit with Coriander Seeds, Green Olives, and White Wine
7 Comments
Vegetarians can be an off-putting lot. I should know. I was one for years. I'd beat you with a carrot if you suggested I eat meat.
I'm still in sympathy with the cause. But I eat meat. We should talk about that dichotomy sometime.
Anyway, earlier this year I was on L.A. NPR to talk about our HAM book, the drop-dead funny cookbook (no lie) about all things piggishly back-ended (look for it here). I made some cracks about raising and eating our own pig. Very light-hearted stuff, despite its being about death.
Afterwards, I got about many requests from people in LalaLand to be facebook friends. Wow, I thought, NPR has quite a following out there.
Until I discovered they were militant vegetarians. And started writing horrible things on my wall. And posting videos of animal slaughter. And sending messages to all my facebook friends about what a nightmare I was.
I cleaned these people off my lists as quickly as I could. Bruce and I talked about it. Decided it was a strange quirk. And went on our way. Until he twittered two weeks ago about making rabbit for dinner. And got word-lashed and then unfollowed by a bunch of similar types who thought his meal choice was unethical.
Again, the ethics of eating meat. Let's talk about them sometime. But for now, I'd like to share with you the rabbit recipe that got him defriended and unfollowed. Because it's so darn wonderful. Every single bite of its four servings. If you've never eaten rabbit, now's the time. It's autumnal, comforting, light, and savory. What could be better?
First, position the oven so that your big pot can fit in there with some head space, the rack as close to the middle of the oven as it can be. Preheat the oven to 325F (160C).
But you'll start cooking on top of the stove. Brown about 3 ounces (85 grams) of chopped bacon in a large pot over medium heat, stirring occasionally. No need for extra oil because that bacon will render out its fat--which will in turn become the fat in the braise itself. Once the bacon bits are crisp, use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a bowl, leaving that luscious, smoky fat in the pot.
Now brown a 3-pound (1.3-kilogram), cut-up rabbit in the fat, working in batches as necessary. Again, be generous in the browning, several minutes per side, turning once. Transfer these pieces to that same bowl with the bacon bits. (Look at that first picture in the post: all that deep color is from browning--and there are no tomatoes in the mix!)
One note about rabbit: the anatomy can be daunting, especially for the uninitiated. Believe it or not, we have a whole set of pictures on how to break down a rabbit in COOKING KNOW-HOW (available here). But if you're squeamish or simply don't want to take the time, ask the butcher at your supermarket to cut the rabbit into eight or nine pieces for you. Since rabbits don't move off the shelf too quickly, this will also give him or her a chance to make sure the thing is fresh.
Once the rabbit pieces are out of the pot, add 2 medium leeks, white and pale green parts only, halved lengthwise, washed for any grit in the inner chambers, and thinly sliced. These will soften in about 2 minutes, as long as you stir them fairly frequently.
Sprinkle in 1 tablespoon (10 grams) all-purpose flour. Don't use any other kind because this is for thickening. Stir the flour around the pot for about 30 seconds, until lightly browned. Then add 1 teaspoon coriander seeds (less than 5 grams), 1 teaspoon (less than 5 grams) dried thyme, 1 minced garlic clove, and 2 bay leaves. Give these about 30 minutes over the heat as well, stirring often. Notice how brown that flour got on the pot's bottom. No problem--it's about to come up.
Pour in 1 cup (225 ml) sweet, white wine. Bruce used the ultra-sweet Montbazillac. You don't have to go that far. A Riesling would work just as well. Stir it around as it comes to a simmer, scraping up any browned bits in the pot. Simmer 1 minute.
Add fifteen or so green olives. Pitted are easier to deal with at the table--but unpitted offer a better taste, less desiccated over time. Pour in 1 1/2 cups (350 ml) salt-free chicken broth; return the rabbit pieces, bacon bits, and any juices in the bowl to the pot. Raise the heat and bring it all to a full simmer.
Cover and shove the pot in the oven. Braise for about 1 1/2 hours, until the rabbit is tender, the meat just beginning to pull away from the bone. Remove the pot from the oven, squeeze a quarter of a lemon into the braise, and stir well. Cover and set aside for 10 minutes to blend the flavors. That should give you just enough time to make mashed potatoes, as I do here. What a meal! Those little coriander seeds are pops of flavor in the mix. Stunning! And worth being defriended over.
Reader Comments (7)
I had the same experience when I posted about wild boar. It was a pain in the butt!
BTW, the olive/rabbit combination looks just lovely!
Keep on keeping on.
xxoo,
RMW
I recommended your piggy book to a friend of mine who adores all food porcine. She was so excited! She does not live in LA, however. :-)
I love rabbit but since we had pet rabbits for the last 15 years, my daughter would throw a fit at the mere mention of eating rabbit. She's in college now so I think it's time to bring it back into our kitchen.
RMW: Yum! You serve the boar; I'm there.
Sharon: Just fix it while she's away at school. Don't say a word. What kids don't know about their parents, the better.
M.
Yum rabbit is a delicious and incredibly healthful meat, especially if they are wild rabbits as they are very high in omega 3s. I am from a Maltese background, where rabbits are extinct in the wild, that's how much we love rabbit!
Merrie:
I can't love rabbit more. None at my house. Too many predators: hawks, owls, bobcats, etc. I, too, have to rely on the store.
M.
This has convinced me (a former - or shall I say reformed-vegetarian) to give cooking rabbit a try... My boyfriend should be sending you guys thank you notes!
Elle: Give it a try. If it's your first time with rabbit, ask the guy at the market to cut it up for you. It's so much easier. But wow, is it tasty. I can't wait to hear what you think.
M.