Wild Rabbit 3 ways

This is one of my absolute favourite ingredients! The Humble rabbit is truly a marvel – delicious white meat that can be prepared in several delicious ways.

For this you will need to harvest 3 plump rabbits. Make sure to shoot them humanely in the head so as not to damage the meat. Gut them on the spot and hang by the back legs for 24 hours to cool and stretch.

You will need :

  • 3 butchered rabbits, cut into shoulders, back legs and saddles.

Recipe 1: Schnitzel

This is so easy and tasty. Start by removing the shanks from the back legs then de boning them. Butterly open so they are an even ¼ inch thick. Lay them flat and bash them across the grain with the back of a knife to break open the grain. Now with the sharp edge score the meat across the grain to stop them curling. ( very shallow cuts only)

Marinade the boneless thighs in the buttermilk mix for 2 hrs to tenderise. Shake off the excess and coat in the dredge. Shallow fry for 2 mins each side in clean veg oil until golden.

For the Dredge:

  • 2 cups cornmeal ( polenta)
  • 2 tbsp cornstarch
  • Chopped thyme
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • ½ tsp cayenne or red chilli powder
  • For the marinade:
  • 2 cups yoghurt
  • 2 cups buttermilk
  • Lemon zest
  • Chopped thyme

Recipe 2: Stuffed roasted rabbit saddle

3 rabbit saddles, deboned as in the programme. Season the inside then lay a layer of wild garlic leaves, watercress, or spinach. To stuff either use the rabbit livers or a good quality sausage meat laid evenly down the length. Roll up and wrap in beaten out prosciutto. Now ideally wrap that in crepinette or caul fat. Truss with string and roll in a tight sausage of clingwrap. Tie the ends. Simmer in a pan of water for 6 minutes at below boiling ( ideally at 65c / 160f). remove from the film and brown in a hot pan with butter, oil, garlic and rosemary. Now roast for 15 mins in the oven at 170 c/ 370 f. rest and carve  – you will have super juicy white delicious rabbit. Each saddle will do 2.

Recipe 3: Confit sticky shoulders.

You will need :

  • 6 rabbit shoulders.

Start with the confit. Ideally use 2 cups of gooses or duck fat but any oil will do. Heavily salt the rabbit shoulders adding in lemon zest and rosemary. Leave for an hour to draw out some moisture. After an hour wash off the salt and dry. Immerse the shoulders in oil and cook at a low heat for 2 hours or until the meat feels tender. Pat dry and prepare the glaze. Mix the ingredients together and reduce until sticky. Char grill the shoulders until coloured then paint with the apple glaze, cooking it in.

  • Confit oil :2 cups
  • 2 tbsp sea salt
  • 2 sprigs of rosemary
  • Apple glaze:
  • 1 cup apple juice
  • 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • 2 tbsp honey

Ratatouille:

This is a really simple Provençal vegetable stew that is really good with rabbit.

Start by cutting the vegetables into 3/4 inch cubes. Finely chop the garlic. Salt the aubergines for 45 minutes, then shake off the salt. Fry the aubergines hard in olive oil till brown. Add the courgettes and peppers and sweat well, add the garlic and the onions. Now add the cherry tomatoes.  Sweat off for 10 minutes on a medium heat then add a good splash of white wine.

Finally add the rosemary sprig and the can of pulped Italian tomatoes. Slow cook for 90 minutes, adding a splash of high quality oil when necessary. Season well and allow to rest before serving.

  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 2 eggplants
  • 4 zucchini
  • 1 onion
  • 2 red peppers
  • 1 can of pulped Italian tomatoes
  • 1 splash white wine
  • Salt and pepper
  • Sprig of rosemary