Winerabbit Food

WINE RABBIT

Steps:

• In a large roasting pan put Crisco, onion and celery.
• Add 2 cut up rabbits; brown on both sides.
• Add bay leaves, peppercorns, rosemary, oregano, thyme and salt and pepper.
• Pour in red wine and vinegar; mix in flour.
• Bake at 325° for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or till tender.

RABBIT IN A WHITE WINE, BACON, ONION AND MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Lightly coat the rabbit pieces in seasoned flour.
• Heat the butter and oil and fry the rabbit pieces until golden brown.
• Remove from the pan and add the tiny onions and bacon to the pan and fry until the onions are coloured.
• Add the wine, water and tomato paste, stirring to combine and lift any brown bits off the bottom of the pan; add the thyme, bayleaf, garlic and season with extra black pepper.
• Return the rabit to the pan.
• Cover the pan and simmer about 1 hour or until the rabbit is tender.
• Meanwhile, toss the mushrooms in a little extra butter and oil for a few minutes.
• Add to the rabbit for the last few minutes of cooking.
• Remove the thyme and bayleaf and serve the rabbit, mushrooms, onions and sauce with chopped parsley sprinkled over.

RABBIT AU VIN

Steps:

• Soak the shallots in boiling water for 5 mins, drain, then peel - this makes it a lot easier to remove the skins. While they are soaking, slice the rest of the vegetables. Heat a large, wide flameproof casserole dish, then add the lardons. Fry for 5 mins or until the fat has run from the meat, then tip in the vegetables and cook for 10 mins until golden and starting to soften. Tip into a bowl.
• Toss the rabbit meat with the flour, then tap off the excess. Heat half the butter and oil in the dish, then brown half the rabbit for 10 mins until golden all over. Add a good splash of water, scrape around the dish and tip the juices into a jug. Repeat with the second batch of rabbit, but use the wine to deglaze the pan this time, letting it reduce by about a third.
• Add the rabbit and the vegetables to the wine, pour in the stock, stir in the herbs and bring to a simmer. Cover, leaving just a small gap for steam to escape, then simmer for 1½-2 hrs or until the meat falls away from the bones. If you like a thicker sauce to your stew, you can lift out the meat and vegetables and boil the sauce to thicken it a little. To finish, heat the knob of butter in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms with salt, pepper and a few thyme leaves over a high heat until browned. Spoon these over the stew, sprinkle with thyme leaves and bring to the table.

RABBIT IN WHITE WINE AND MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the rabbit pieces,including the liver, with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Bring enough water to the boil to cover the salt pork pieces when they are added.
• Heat the oil in a heavy skillet large enough to hold the rabbit pieces in one layer and add the salt pork cubes. Cook, stirring often, until the pieces are crisp and slightly browned.
• Remove and set aside the salt pork pieces.
• Set the rabbit liver aside. Add the remaining rabbit pieces to the fat in the skillet and cook about five minutes. Remove the rabbit pieces and pour off all the fat from the skillet. Return the rabbit pieces to the skillet. Add the onions, mushrooms and carrots. Add the garlic and stir to redistribute the ingredients. Cook about five minutes.
• Sprinkle with flour and stir so that the ingredients are evenly coated. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the wine, broth and bring to the boil, stirring from the bottom to prevent sticking. Add the mustard and stir to blend.
• Tie the thyme, bay leaf, parsley and rosemary into a bundle and add it. Cover closely and cook 40 minutes. Add the rabbit liver and the browned pieces of salt pork. Stir. Cover and continue cooking five minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with noodles or mashed potatoes.