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2.24.2013

Citrus Rabbit with Reisling and Mustard

Today I'm making something I've wanted to try for quite sometime, rabbit. I've had rabbit on several occasions, but this is my first time preparing it myself.




Rabbit is described by many to be 'like chicken', however, in my opinion it has more flavour and richness. It is very common to eat rabbit in Europe but not so much here in North America, except in some ethnic populations or some rural areas.





Ingredients

1 Whole rabbit
2-3 Cooking onions
1 Cup white wine
4 Tbsp. Whole mustard
Salt and pepper
6 Cloves of garlic
5 Slices or bacon cut into lardons
1 Bunch of fresh Thyme
1 Large navel orange
1 Tbsp. oil or lard

Preheat oven to 350F.

Begin by cutting the rabbit into pieces and seasoning with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil or lard in a dutch oven on the stove top and brown the bacon and garlic. 





Place a few pieces of rabbit in the dutch oven at a time to brown and cover the pieces with mustard.

Brown the rabbit on both sides.

Don't crowd the pan or the meat won't brown properly.

 I did mine a few pieces at a time and set them aside.



 

When you have browned all the pieces, return them all to the pan and add the onion, and the white wine, thyme, the juice of half the orange and grate some of the rind and add that too, if you want a more pronounced citrus flavour. 







Put the whole thing in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Turn the meat over and return to oven for another 30 minutes.

Remove the rabbit from the dutch oven and put the dutch oven on the stove top on high heat and bring to a boil.

I used my immersion blender to macerate the bacon and onion bits to get to a smooth consistency.

Put about a 1/2 cup of cold water in a measuring cup and add a couple of teaspoons of corn starch. Mix this well with a fork, and stirring the broth constantly, add the starch/water. 
This will thicken to a very nice flavourful sauce. 
Remove from heat and serve.

I served this dish with rosemary mashed potatoes and buttered carrot coins, biscuits and a my 'go to' french white table wine; L'Epayrie.



One final note. I highly recommend using your RaBit coaster which is available by attending one of their many events here in Toronto.

Ranked Ballot Initiative of Toronto

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