Rabbit Platter with Cured Rabbit, Pistachio-Crusted Rack of Rabbit,and Stuffed Rabbit Loin
Recipe courtesy of Benjamin Guaman, Executive Chef, Governors Club, Chapel Hill, N.C.
Ingredients
- For Cured Rabbit
- whole rabbit - 1 each, skinned and cut into 8 pieces
- salt - 1 1/2 ozs.
- garlic powder - 1 1/2 ozs.
- fresh bay leaves - 2 each, ground
- coriander seeds - 1 oz., ground
- whole white peppercorns - 1 oz., ground
- juniper berries - 1.5 each, ground
- cardamom - 2 ozs., ground
- brown sugar - 2 ozs.
- TCM - 1/2 oz. (curing salt)
- duck fat - 4 cups
- For Pistachio-Crusted Rack of Rabbit
- rack of rabbit - 1 each, (eight ribs)
- oil - 1 Tbsp.
- whole pistachios - 1/4 cup, shelled
- honey mustard - 1 Tbsps.
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- For Sauce
- bones from the rabbit - scraps
- whole garlic cloves - 2, chopped
- mirepoix - 6 ozs., (50% onions, 25% celery, & 25% carrots)
- bay leaves - 3 each, dried
- tomato paste - 1 tsp.
- white wine or brandy - 1/4 cup (optional)
- whole-grain mustard - 1 tsp.
- chicken stock - 1 cup
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
- For Stuffed Rabbit Loin
- boneless rabbit loins - 2
- fresh spinach - 1 oz.
- wild mushrooms - 4 ozs., minced
- white wine - 1/4 cup
- pine nuts - 2 Tbsps.
- onions - 2 Tbsps., minced
- garlic - 2 Tbsps., minced
- sprig fresh rosemary - 1, chopped
- butter - 1 Tbsp.
- salt - to taste
- pepper - to taste
Instructions
For Cured Rabbit:
- Preheat oven to 250°F.
- Rinse the rabbit pieces under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Mix all curing ingredients together.
- In a large, heavy-lidded (oven-safe) pot, combine the rabbit with the curing spices.
- Add enough duck fat to cover the rabbit meat by about half an inch.
- Cut a piece of parchment paper to fit the pot and place on the surface of the duck fat.
- Place lid on pot and transfer to the oven.
- Cook until the meat is tender but not falling apart (about three hours). Check the contents of the pot occasionally; the duck fat should never come to a full simmer. You may need to reduce the heat.
- Remove the pot from the oven.
- Cool the rabbit to room temperature and refrigerate overnight or up to three days.
Chef's Note: You must slowly heat the pieces in confit fat in a warm oven before grilling or searing; otherwise the center will be cold.
For Pistachio-Crusted Rack of Rabbit:
- Preheat oven to 350°F.
- Place pistachios, salt and pepper into the food processor and process until crumbly. Drizzle one tablespoon of the oil over the pistachio mixture, and mix until well- combined.
- Season rabbit rack with salt and pepper.
- Warm a sauté pan over high heat. When the sauté pan is hot, add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan.
- Add rabbit rack to the skillet, cooking for about 30 seconds on each side until brown.
- Brush the seared racks with honey mustard, then cover with pistachio mixture.
- Finish in the oven for about five minutes.
For Sauce:
- Brown the bones in a heated sauté pan.
- Remove the roasted bones from the pan.
- In the same sauté pan, caramelize the onions, then add carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaves, then cook for another 10 minutes.
- Add tomato paste (mix well)
- Deglaze the pan with white wine or brandy, cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, and repeat three times.
- Add chicken stock, reduce heat to simmer and continue to cook until the sauce is thick. Strain through a chinois.
- Add whole-grain mustard, and season with salt and pepper.
For Stuffed Rabbit Loin:
- Melt the butter in a sauté pan.
- Sauté onions, garlic, and mushrooms in the melted butter.
- Deglaze with white wine; cook until liquid has evaporated.
- Season with salt, pepper and rosemary.
- Clean rabbit by removing traces of silver skin.
- Season rabbit with salt and pepper.
- Place equal parts of spinach leaves and mushroom mixture on each loin, and roll to form a cylinder.
- Refrigerate for one hour.
- Preheat oven to 350º F.
- Heat oil in a non-stick sauté pan.
- Place rabbit loins in the pan and sauté until loins are brown on all sides.
- Remove from the pan and finish in the oven for about 10 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let rest for five minutes.
- Slice into rounds.