Marinated And Stewed Rabbit Recipes

GRILLED AND MARINATED RABBIT (CONIGLIO MARINATO ALLA GRIGLIA)

Steps:

• I've written this recipe to be cooked on the barbecue, because the flavour will be amazing, but it also works really well when roasted in the oven at 200ºC/400ºF/gas 6. If you cook it in the oven, turn the pieces of rabbit several times to ensure even colour and cooking. If you cook it on the barbecue, you'll need 5 wooden or metal skewers (soak wooden ones before you use them). Whether barbecuing or roasting, here are your rough timings:
• Belly: 25 to 30 minutes. Kidneys and liver: 4 minutes. Saddle and ribs: 15 to 20 minutes. Legs and shoulder: 35 to 40 minutes.
• Put your rabbit pieces into a bowl. Using a pestle and mortar, or a liquidizer, bash or whiz up the thyme and rosemary leaves to a pulp, then add the garlic cloves and bash or whiz again. Stir in 8 tablespoons of olive oil, the lemon zest and juice and the honey, and pour this over the rabbit. Put the meat to one side and let it come to room temperature while you light your barbecue.
• Now I'm going to talk about flavour. Get a couple of sprigs of fresh thyme and tie them together like a little brush. Each time you turn the meat, dab it with a little of the marinade to give you a lovely encrusted layer of flavour. This rabbit is going to be really tasty!
• Keeping the marinade to one side, remove the pieces of meat and season with salt and pepper. Sandwich the pancetta between the 2 pieces of belly using 3 skewers. Put the legs and shoulder on the barbecue. When they've been cooking for 10 minutes, put the belly on. After another 10 minutes put the saddle and ribs on. Make sure you turn the meat over every so often. Look after it by controlling the temperature and basting it continuously with the marinade. Cut three-quarters of the way through each kidney and open them out like a book. Cut the liver into 4 pieces and push one piece on to each remaining skewer, followed by a kidney and more liver.
• When all the pieces of meat are beautifully cooked, add your skewered bits of kidney and liver on to the barbecue and cook until golden, along with your 2 remaining slices of pancetta. After a few minutes, when the pancetta is browned, put it on top of the meat at the cooler end of the barbie. Now get your guests round the table.
• You can serve the rabbit with any white beans, or roast potatoes, or grilled vegetables, or different salads - it really depends on how you feel and what the weather's like. Just put a big bowl of your chosen accompaniment in the middle of the table and serve all the meat on a board. Lovely with a glass of white wine. Simple, honest and bloody good.

MARINATED AND STEWED RABBIT

Steps:

• *Note: for mushrooms, may use 1 ounce dried porcini, soaked in water to soften, drained (reserve soaking liquid) and mixed with ½ lb button mushrooms.
• Mix the wine, vinegar, and chopped carrot and chopped onion in a bowl large enough to hold the rabbit.
• Tie together the parsley or thyme, or put in a cheesecloth sack or tea ball; add the herb to the marinade with the rabbit; add some salt and pepper.
• Marinate in the refrigerator, turning the rabbit pieces occasionally, for 12-24 hours.
• Strain the marinade, reserving it, and dry the rabbit pieces.
• Cut the bacon into bits and render it over med-low heat in a Dutch oven or large deep skillet.
• When it has given up much of its fat and is becoming nice and crisp, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add in 2 cups minced onion, diced carrot, and diced celery; cook/stir over med-low heat; chop the mushrooms and add them too.
• When the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes later, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside with the bacon.
• Turn the heat to med-high; dredge the rabbit pieces in flour, and brown them in the fat that remains in the pan.
• Season them with salt and pepper as they brown.
• When they are browned, decrease the heat and return the vegetables and bacon to the pan; stir, then add the chocolate, some salt, and plenty of pepper.
• Decrease the heat even further, cover, and cook until the rabbit is tender and the sauce is thick, about 1 hour.
• If the sauce is too thin, remove the meat to a warm oven and reduce the sauce over high heat, stirring near constantly, until it is a pleasant thickness.
• Remove the herbs; check and correct seasoning; serve immediately with buttered noodles, rice, or crusty bread.

MARINATED RABBIT STEW

Steps:

• Put rabbit into a deep bowl and cover with a mixture of the vinegar, water, sugar, onion, carrots, 1 tablespoon salt, pickling spices, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 3 days to marinate, turning pieces frequently.
• Drain rabbit; strain and reserve marinade. Dry rabbit with absorbent paper. Coat pieces with a mixture of 1/3 cup flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Heat the fat in a Dutch oven or saucepot. Add the rabbit and brown slowly on all sides. Add 2 cups of the marinade. Cover and cook slowly about 45 minutes, or until meat is tender.
• Thoroughly blend 1/2 up of the reserved marinade and the 1/4 cup of flour. Slowly pour on half of the mixture into cooking liquid, stirring constantly. Bring to boiling. Gradually add only what is needed of remaining mixture for consistency desired. Bring to boiling after each addition. Finally, cook 3 to 5 minutes.
• Arrange rabbit on serving platter. Pour some of the gravy over the rabbit and serving remaining gravy in a gravy boat.