I'm nervous about cooking rabbit. Any tips?!
Answers: First time. I don't want to do it wrong (over cook it or something). I'm cooking for my 4 young kids and hubby so I want it to be not too fancy so no weird veggies and disguising it would be good. I've got a little more than 3 lbs of it. Help?
I'm an old Rabbit & Squirrel(deer, fish etc) cooker myself!! Down here in Arkansas we are big on hunting. Anyway lets talk about rabbit first. THEY ARE TOUGH!!!! AND YOU CAN'T COOK EM FAST, SO YOU NEED TO START EARLY! You want young tender rabbits first off, but you get what you get I guess. If they bring old ones well you gotta cook em! You want to cook them as low heat & slowly to get em as tender as you can. That is the trick, first dredge them seasoned flour(salt, pepper, Lil garlic powder, & dash of red pepper if you like). Now there are a couple ways to do this. I use an electric skillet cause you can turn it down low almost off and cook them for 1 1/2 OR 2 HOURS. Or you can flour em, real lightly brown them in an iron skillet, cover the skillet with foil and put the whole thing in the over on 325 for 2 hours or more. Just have to check for tenderness. Or you can debone them like a chicken or any piece of meat. Pound the meat with a mallet like deer or beef round steak. The older ones are the ones I'd fillet if I were you. Flour and fry in a skillet on low till tender, this is faster but lot of trouble to debone if your not experienced. We always have country fried taters, milk gravy & biscuits. I make creamed potatoes to for the kids. Nothing fancy just down home. If you need any advice just email me I'll be happy to help. GOT SOME GOOD SQUIRREL & DEER MEAT ADVICE TOO!
DON'T GIVE UP IF IT DOESN'T TURN OUT. SOMETIMES YOU JUST CAN'T GET AN OLD RABBIT TENDER NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO!!!!! JUST KEEP ON YOU'LL BE OK.
Soak your cleaned rabbit in salt water for a few hours first some people put in a big spoon of vinegar but not necessary!
There is always rabbit and dumplins, for the tough ones to.. Cover in water, salt, pepper, a couple chicken bouillon cubes or chicken broth, garlic powder, a big onion chopped, a couple tablespoons of oil in the water, spoon of sugar, some cooking sherry or white wine or vinegar will help tenderize. Anyway get to a boil, skim the foam, reduce & simmer with lid for an hour or more on low low! When they are tender drop in your favorite dumplin recipe or egg noodles. Taste as you cook to adjust flavors this is really good with squirrel!
Lickin' Good Rabbit
INGREDIENTS
1 (2 pound) rabbit, cleaned and cut into pieces
1 pint water
1 cup vinegar
3 onions, peeled and sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
1/8 teaspoon dried tarragon
4 whole cloves
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup sour cream
DIRECTIONS
Place rabbit in a glass bowl or baking dish. Cover with water, vinegar and onions, and season with salt, pepper, tarragon and cloves. Let stand for 24 hours or at least overnight.
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add rabbit pieces and brown them on all sides. Reduce heat to medium and pour in enough of the marinade to cover the bottom of the pan. Add more marinade as needed. Cover pan and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, or until meat is tender and the juices run clear.
Remove meat to a deep platter, and stir the sour cream into the juices in the pan. Cook over high heat, stirring constantly until gravy is thick and smooth. Pour over meat and serve immediately.
Seared Rabbit with Rosemary Potatoes
INGREDIENTS
6 potatoes, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 onions, peeled and thinly sliced
5 sprigs rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 (4 pound) rabbit, cleaned and cut into pieces
1 onion, diced
1 tablespoon chopped green olives
10 leaves fresh sage
1 teaspoon chopped fresh marjoram
6 baby artichokes, tips trimmed and tough outer leaves removed
1 teaspoon tomato paste
1 bunch fresh parsley, minced
saDIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Toss potatoes and 2 sliced onions with rosemary and olive oil in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper; spread into a large, shallow baking dish.
Bake potatoes in the preheated oven until tender, about 45 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet over high heat. Cook rabbit pieces, turning once, until brown on both sides, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining onion, olives, sage, and marjoram and cook for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir artichokes, tomato paste and parsley into skillet with rabbit. Replace cover and simmer until artichokes are tender, about 15 minutes. Serve with rosemary potatoes.
lt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
lol, you have a top contributor badge in "other - pets" --- ironic.
LE FILET DE LAPIN A LA MOUTARDE
6 Rabbit filets
1 c White wine
1 pn Thyme
2 Bay leaves
2 tb Oil
3 tb Creole mustard
1 c Heavy cream
Salt -- to taste
Pepper -- to taste
Marinate the rabbit filets in 1/2 cup of the wine and
the thyme and bay leaves for 24 hours.
Saute the rabbit lightly in the oil, then remove the
rabbit from the pan. Add the remaining wine and the
Creole mustard to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from the heat and blend in the cream and salt
and pepper to taste.
Slice the rabbit filets lengthwise into strips. Place
the sauce over the rabbit and serve with Polenta. Delicious, and your kids will enjoy it too.
Pumpernickel Pus Lumps
3 3/4 ounces Jar capers
4 ounces Tub whipped cream cheese
8 slices Pumpernickel bread
-----TOOLS-----
Colander
Bowl
Spoon
Toaster
Bread knife
Carefully drain the capers through a colander over the sink. Place the drained capers through a bowl.
Scoop the cream cheese into the bowl of capers and mix gently.
Toast the bread. Spread each slice with a generous glop of pus lumps and serve, open faced, immediately.
Serves 4 infectious friends.
From the Book: Gross Grub by Cheryl Porter Random House ISBN 0-679-86693-0
Shared by Carolyn Shaw 10-95
Try rabbit paella. It′s our local speciality here in Valencia, Spain.
Cut a large red pepper into strips of 1 inch wide and fry in olive oil until soft. Put to one side.
Cut a whole rabbit into smallish pieces and break up a whole head of garlic but do not peel. Brown well in a large flat pan using 150 ml olive oil. Cover with water and simmer until the rabbit is tender.
Add a can of crushed tomatoes and 2 stock cubes.
Add paella rice so the pan is covered with about a centimetre layer.DO NOT STIR.
Add colorante or a pinch of saffron.
Top up with water until the rice is covered.
Bring to the boil and simmer until the rice is tender.You will need to add more water at least a couple of times so make sure you test the rice as you go along.
Decorate with the fried pepper and lemon wedges.
It is delicious!
Lets make this simple for you....
1) Rabbit meat is tough, so cook them in
2) a slow cooker
or
3) a pressurised steam pot.
Simply add the spices or herbs you would have used on a chicken, for the best flavour.
Good luck