11 Dec Waskerly Wabbits
Rabbits were introduced to New Zealand in the 19th century for food and sport. But they soon became a pest, reaching plague proportions in some areas. Rabbits have cost the country millions of dollars – through attempts to control them and lost production on farmland.
A population of rabbits became established in the coastal sandhills between Invercargill and Riverton in the 1860s. In the early 1870s rabbits from this area began moving up the banks of the nearby rivers onto the inland plains. By 1875 they were established in Central Otago. By the early 1880s rabbits had spread to all parts of Otago and Southland and had begun to invade Canterbury. In the 1890s they overran the Mackenzie Country.
if you can’t beat ’em, you might as well eat ’em. here we’ll gather some of our favourite rabbit recipes.
Rabbit is one of the healthiest, leanest, and most environmentally friendly meats you can eat. Compared to beef, pork, lamb, turkey, veal, and chicken, rabbit has the highest percentage of protein, the lowest percentage of fat, and the fewest calories per kg.
recipes with rabbit
Rabbit, Prune and Bacon Casserole
by richard till, rnz
Ingredients
1 x rabbit cut into 4 or 5 pieces
seasoned flour
olive oil
1 onion diced
1 carrot diced
2 rashers smoked bacon, diced
½ cup black olives
8 prunes, halved
1 tsp mustard powder
330ml cider
Method
Heat your oven to 180°C
Coat the rabbit pieces in seasoned flour, shake off excess.
Heat a heavy frying pan to a moderate temperature, add some oil to the pan and then carefully brown the floured rabbit pieces. When browned transfer to a casserole dish.
When all the rabbit is browned, add the onion, carrot, bacon, olives, prunes and mustard powder to the pan and cook, stirring frequently until the onions and carrots are softened and lightly browned.
Add the cider to the pan and bring to a low simmer. Take care to scrape all the pan brownings into the sauce.
Tip the sauce over the rabbit pieces, cover and cook for 40 – 50 minutes.
Let stand for 10 – 15 minutes before serving.
Pauls Rabbit Stew
By Wendyl Nissen, nz herald
Ingredients
15 g Butter
1 clove Garlic, crushed
1 Rabbit, or 2 if you’re feeding more than 4 people or want leftovers), cut into pieces (Main)
400 g Shallots
4 Streaky bacon, rashers, chopped (Main)
125 ml Water
25 g Flour
100 g Mushrooms
2 Bay leaves
Method
Wash and dry the rabbit pieces then season with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a frying pan and fry the garlic, bacon and shallots until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and place in a casserole dish.
Add rabbit to the frying pan and fry until browned on all sides. Remove from pan and add to the casserole dish.
Stir the flour into the remaining fat in the frying pan and cook gently for 10 minutes, stirring until it browns. Add water and red wine, and stir until thickened. Pour this sauce over the rabbit and then add mushrooms and bay leaves.
Cover and cook at 180C for 1½ hours.
RABBIT WITH BACON AND MUSHROOMS AND TOMATOES
by alan
INGREDIENTS
Young rabbit, jointed
½ cup plain flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
150 grams bacon, thinly sliced
2 red onions, peeled
300 grams button mushrooms, halved if large
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped thyme
½ cup white wine
1 x 400 gram tin cherry tomatoes
1 cup chicken stock
sea salt and freshly ground pepper
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180˚C.Place the flour in a dish and season with salt and pepper. Dust the rabbit in the flour, shaking off the excess.
Heat the oil in a sauté pan and brown the rabbit on all sides. Transfer to an ovenproof baking dish. Add the bacon to the same pan and cook until lightly golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and add to the rabbit.
Add the onions, mushrooms, paprika, garlic and thyme to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Pour in the wine and let it bubble up for a couple of minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock, season and bring to the boil. Tip over the rabbit and gently combine. Cover and cook for 30 minutes. Uncover then cook for a further 10 minutes until the rabbit is tender and fully cooked through. An older rabbit may take longer to become tender. Don’t overcook or the rabbit will become dry
TO SERVE: Scatter with a little extra fresh thyme and serve with warm crusty bread, mashed potatoes and a green salad.
French rabbit stew
by alan
Ingredients
2 young rabbits, both jointed into 6 pieces
3 tbsp Dijon mustard
50g duck fat or clarified butter
200ml dry white wine
1 large onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
100g smoked bacon lardons or diced pancetta
1 heaped tbsp plain flour
500ml chicken stock
6–7 fresh tarragon sprigs, leaves stripped from the stalks and chopped
60g crème fraîche
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the rabbit stew, spread the rabbit joints with 2 tablespoons of the Dijon mustard. Place in a bowl, cover with cling film and put in the fridge for at least 4 hours.
Heat half of the duck fat or butter in a flameproof casserole dish. Brown the rabbit pieces all over and transfer them back to the bowl. Deglaze the dish with the wine and pour this over the rabbit in the bowl.
Preheat the oven to 160C/140C Fan. Heat the remaining fat in the casserole dish and fry the onion, garlic and lardons. When they have browned and softened a little, add the flour and cook for a minute or so. Gradually add the chicken stock, stirring well after each addition to make sure there are no lumps.
Put the rabbit with bowl contents back into the casserole dish, cover and bring to a simmer. Transfer the stew to the oven and cook for 1¼ hours, or until the rabbit is tender. Check the rabbit is cooked through – the meat should be starting to fall off the bone. Poke the leg portions and the saddle pieces with a knife and if it doesn’t slide in easily, return the casserole to the oven for 15–20 minutes and then check again for tenderness.
Remove the rabbit from the casserole dish and keep it warm. Place the dish on the hob and stir in the tarragon, crème fraîche and remaining mustard. Put the rabbit back in the dish and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve in warmed bowls.
RABBIT WITH SAFFRON, ORANGE AND BUTTER BEANS
by alan
INGREDIENTS
Young rabbit, in pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large fennel bulb, top trimmed and cut into wedges
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
8 whole cloves garlic, peeled
½ cup white wine
good pinch saffron threads
½ cup chicken stock
zest and juice 1 orange
1 x 400-gram tin crushed tomatoes
1 x 400-gram tin butter beans, drained and rinsed
small handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped
METHOD
Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Season the rabbit and brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate.
Add the fennel, onion, bay and garlic to the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients, season well and bring to the boil.
Nestle in the rabbit and pour over any resting juices. Cover and simmer very gently for 30-40 minutes until the rabbit is cooked through, i.e., almost falling off the bone. Don’t overcook. An older rabbit will take longer; up to twice as long.
If the juices are thin remove the lid and simmer until reduced. Stir in the parsley to serve.
Fried Rabbit
by alan
ingredients
young rabbit, cut into 6 pieces, rib cage reserved for another use (such as stock)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons salt
1 x750-ml bottle dry white wine
2 garlic clove, crushed
2 x 3-inch strips lemon zest
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon whole allspice, crushed
1 cup crème fraîche
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon fennel seeds
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup fine semolina
Vegetable oil (for frying)
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional), to serve
2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (optional), to serve
Preparation
Step 1
Place rabbit in a medium pot; add 1 Tbsp. salt, next 5 ingredients, and water if needed so that rabbit is completely submerged. Bring liquid to a boil over medium-high heat; immediately reduce heat and gently simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 135°, about 20 minutes. Let rabbit cool in cooking liquid. Drain rabbit; discard liquid.
Step 2
Meanwhile, whisk crème fraîche, Dijon mustard, oregano, rosemary, thyme, and black pepper in a medium bowl. Add rabbit to marinade, turning to coat well. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 24 hours.
Step 3
Lightly toast fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Grind in spice mill and transfer to a medium bowl; whisk in remaining 2 tsp. salt and flours.
Step 4
Pour oil into a large deep skillet to a depth of 1 inch. Prop deep-fry thermometer in oil so bulb is submerged. Heat over medium-high heat until thermometer registers 160°C. Set a wire rack inside a rimmed baking sheet. Working in 2 batches, dredge rabbit in flour mixture, shaking off any excess, and fry, turning once and adjusting heat to maintain a steady temperature, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 75°C, about 10 minutes. Transfer rabbit to prepared rack. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, if using, and let cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Garnish with chives, if desired.
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