Rabbit Recipes
WILD
RABBIT
Oryctolagus
cunniculus
My views on wild rabbit
In many parts of the UK the wild rabbit is very common and can cause considerable damage to field crops and tree plantations. I’ve even seen rabbits in the branches of winter apple orchards eating the bark off the branches. It is a land owner’s responsibility to keep rabbit populations under control. Failure to do so can result in the local government employing vermin control to reduce the numbers and billing the land owner.
I am luck enough to know a land owner who is only too please to allow me to shoot with my air rifle when rabbit numbers become a problem on his land. This usually happens in late spring.
Rabbit is cheap and an underused meat and is worth asking your butcher. It’s a lean and tasty meat and is the ultimate free range. If you’re worried about animal welfare then wild food is the best.
I usually take the back fillets and use these for kebabs whilst the legs go “drumsticks” and other recipes. Here I have stated with one recipe:
RABBIT STEW WITH MAVRODAFNI WINE
(KOUNELLI ME MAVRODAPHNI)
I first tried this dish on the Greek island of Skiathos many years ago. It was in a little village called Troulos. There were only a handful of tavernas and one was offering rabbit in sweet red wine. I couldn’t resist as I’m a fan of rabbit and had not tried this dish before. It was fabulous. Before we left for home we bought a bottle of Mavodafni (or Mavodaphne) wine so we could replicate the recipe at home. (The wine is not local to Skiathos but Patras on the mainland. You can also use the Cyprus Commandaria wine which has been in production for longer than any other wine in the world.) It was some years before we got around to doing this recipe but it was an easy and cheap meal to do on a wood burning stove. With roasted home grown potatoes and parsnips, apart from the wine it was a free meal. The dish originates in the Peloponnese.
SERVES TWO TO THREE
INGREDIENTS:
* ONE RABBIT ABOUT 1.5 kilo (Or pieces to this weight)
* 189 gr. OLIVE OIL
* ONE TEACUP OF VINEGAR
* TWO AND A HALF TEACUP OF WATER
* ONE WINE GLASS OF MAVODAFNI WINE (Or dry red wine plus one tbsp of brown sugar.)
* TWO TABLESPOONS OF GRATED ALMONDS
* TWO BAY LEAVES
* SOME GRATED NUTMEG AND CINNAMON
* SEASONING
Cut the rabbit up into pieces and leave to soak in the vinegar and a teacup of water for around twelve hours then strain.
Heat the oil in a heavy saucepan and fry the rabbit till golden brown. It is best to do this in batches so as to keep the heat in the pan.
Pour in the wine over the meat.
Add the rest of the water and all the other ingredients.
Cook over a moderate heat till there is no more liquid left.
Serve with fried courgettes and potatoes.
RABBIT WITH MAVODAFNI WINE AND HERBS
SERVES TWO OR THREE
INGREDIENTS:
* HALF A TBSP OF PLAIN FLOWER
* ONE RABBIT JOINTED
* ONE TBSP OF EXTRA VIRGIN RAPE SEED OIL (Or OLIVE OIL)
* 250 ML OF MAVODAFNI WINE (Or DRY RED WINE AND ONE TBSP OF BROWN SUGAR.)
* 75 ML OF RED WINE VINEGAR
* FOUR LARGE CLOVES OF GARLIC, PEELED AND BRUISED
* SIX SAGE AND SOME ROSEMARY LEAVES ROUGHLY CHOPPED OR TORN
* SEASONING
Season the flour and coat the rabbit pieces. I find this is easier if I place the whole lot in a seals plasic bag and shaken.
Heat the oil in a large heavy pan that has a lid, fry the rabbit pieces till they are brown all over. It is best to do this in batches so as to keep the heat in the pan.
With all the meat in the pan pour over the wine and vinegar. Add the garlic and herbs. (Sugar too if using dry wine.)
Cover and simmer gently for two or more hours; or till the meat falls off the bones.
Remove the lid and allow to simmer about half an hour before serving to thicken the sauce.
Serve with your favourites. In this case roast seasonal potatoes and parsnips for the allotment.
ABOVE: The bruised garlic, rough chopped sage and rosemary leaves ready to add to the pot.
BELOW: The 500ml bottle of Mavodafni (Or Mavodaphne!) wine used in the recipe.
BELOW RIGHT: The fried rabbit pieces ready for the pot and rabbit served with roast potato and parsnip.
Updated: Sunday, 15 January 2012
