Maple Braised Rabbit And Carrots Recipe on Food52 (2024)

FAQs

What to serve with braised rabbit? ›

Braised rabbit with lots of roasted red peppers. Serve with bread or polenta.

Pour in 350ml of water, bring to the boil, then simmer on a low heat for 15 minutes. When the time's up, pour in the balsamic and add the honey. Cook for another 30 minutes, or until the rabbit is soft and tender and the liquid has reduced to a dark, thick, flavourful coating, stirring occasionally.

Bring chilled rabbit up to room temperature before cooking. Because it's so lean, rabbit is prone to drying out, so always rest before serving to retain the juices. As with all game, check the meat for lead shot before and after cooking. The lean flesh of rabbit can result in dry, tough meat.

A Brine Keeps the Rabbit Moist

And while the combination seasons the rabbit nicely, the buttermilk and salt give you a little wiggle room to ensure that the cooked rabbit doesn't dry out.

Flavours commonly paired with rabbit include garlic, rosemary, sage and prunes as well as other meats such as salty ham and pancetta. It can also be enlivened by a tangy mustard dressing, and suits cider and cream-based sauces very well.

Cooking Temperature

Your mileage may very, but cooking at a low temperature will make your life easier by preventing your rabbit from becoming tough — you won't have to babysit it as much as high-temperature cooking. In the oven, this means 250f is sufficient for roasting in a pot, which will take ~2-2.5 hrs.

The milk/vinegar mix (similar to buttermilk) will help to brine/pre-season the meat and impart moisture, while keeping the meat tender. Once your rabbit is soaking in the fridge, prepare your dredge. Mix all ingredients and run them through a sifter if you so desire, otherwise mix until hom*ogeneous.

Unlike other animals like cows (beef) and pigs (pork) where there are other names to call them, rabbit meat is simply called “rabbit meat” all over the world. This is due to the fact that rabbit meat is uncommon and somewhat rare to be eaten, so there are no culinary terms for it.

Marinating the rabbit in buttermilk for two to eight hours helps to tenderize the meat and add flavor and moisture to the finished product. Start the recipe with a buttermilk soak. The enzymes and acids in buttermilk help to both tenderize and add flavor and moisture to the lean rabbit meat.

What do you soak rabbit meat in? ›

The meat is slightly darker and has more flavor, but can also be slightly tougher,” says Christopher Eley, who explains that the best way to prepare a wild rabbit is to soak it in either a saltwater solution or buttermilk. Saltwater will draw out any remaining blood and start to tenderize it.

The mildness of the meat is often accented with the bold flavors of fennel, mustard, olives, anchovies, or tomatoes. In France, rabbit is classically served with mustard, either Dijon or a coarse grainy style.

Rabbits enjoy the company of other living beings. In addition to human friends, your rabbit may get along with another rabbit, house cat, guinea pig and well-mannered dog. All introductions should be closely supervised.

Add a cup or so of braised beef to any number of vegetable soups—lentil, minestrone, cabbage—and serve with crusty bread for a complete dinner on a cold day. Add sautéed onions and red peppers and a handful of chopped green olives and you've got a makeshift ropa vieja destined to be a family favorite.

If you want a classic version, try my creme fraiche mashed potatoes. If you want to try something new, my caramelized onion and bacon mashed potatoes are a show stopper! Horseradish mashed potatoes are also a winner and add a great tang! Dinner Rolls – I don't know about you, but I'm a sucker for warm dinner rolls!