When your dining table yawns every time you serve dinner, maybe it's time to branch out and cook something a little more interesting than beef, chicken, or pork. Rabbit is dense and lean like white meat poultry but rich and more flavorful like dark meat. Younger meat will usually be more tender and can be cooked as you would chicken, while older or wild sources will do better with braising.
Since you may not be able to find rabbit in your regular grocery, get familiar with the butcher shops in your area. You never know what specialty items you might find...like the alligator currently in my freezer, waiting for some experimentation.
Grilled Rabbit
Preparing the rabbit
- Whole young rabbit, 6 pieces
- salt & pepper
- 3/4 cup of olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 3 short sprigs rosemary
- 3 short sprigs thyme
- more salt and pepper
Grilled rabbit, brussel sprouts, & mushrooms
Meanwhile, prepare the marinade by blending the olive oil, garlic, herbs, and salt & pepper. Brush rabbit with olive oil marinade and sear on hot grill. Reduce heat to 300 with the lid down and grill for about 1 hour, brushing with marinade and turning over every 15 minutes. Use probe thermometer and follow temp standards of doneness for beef. (It will appear to be done long before it actually is. )
For the side dish:
Half 7 brussel sprouts and toss in 2 tablespoons of the marinade and 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar. In a separate bowl, combine 12 oz assorted mushrooms (shiitake, royal trumpet, etc.) with 1/2 cup of thickly sliced red onion. Toss in 2 tablespoons of marinade and also of red wine vinegar. Using a frying pan or grill plate, cook brussels flat side down until they start to char, then turn and add mushrooms. Cook for 5 minutes and remove.
Comments