Christmas Dinner '14 : Hoppy Holidays !

Watch Me Pull a Rabbit Out of My Hat

The Set up

As I mentioned in my previous post, Baubles and Wobbles, my meat of choice for this years Christmas Day dinner was rabbit. I realize this was probably a weird choice for most people's comfort level - the look my son gave me was worth the $23.95 I paid - but I enjoy trying new things, some would say almost obsessively. Special occasions are just opportunities for my culinary imagination to get a workout. One Easter while many were cooking a ham, as tradition dictates in this country, or a turkey which seems to be de rigeur for all three major eating holidays, I made an attempt at an authentic-ish Middle Eastern dinner. I had never done anything like that before but there were no leftovers so I'll mark that as a success!

This year, with the rabbit and the sides I chose, I seem to have blended a few European countries together for an interesting menu. I think it's cool how it ended up mainly British and French both of which are part of my heritage, as well as two countries where rabbit was once a main staple in most diets. The popularity of rabbit and its cousin the hare has waxed and waned over the years but has since returned to garden 'farmyards' of many, many people. They are relatively easy to raise, reproduce prodigiously so just about anyone can breed their own, in the right conditions. I find it encouraging that people are embracing the notion of not throwing the baby out with the bathwater while adapting to the technologies and knowledge of today. More and more people are looking to the past to help navigate their futures and their children's futures and so on. These are the people who understand the role of consumption in the preservation of animal diversity and existence.

Since this was a trial run on cooking and eating rabbit, I didn't bother to find a local source. Instead I picked this up at my local Sobies Supermarket in the frozen meat section. This particular package was imported from France, which seems appropriate given that most of the recipes I have come across ( and that would be four) have a French influence if not a direct example of a preparation by French cooks. Rabbit is a meat that roasts beautifully, apparently but I chose to keep things simple for myself and make a casserole style dish.

What you need to know

There isn't a 'new' technique or food stuff, I don't think as long as you are somewhat experienced with cooking meats in liquids or 'braising'. A casserole with whole pieces of meat can be considered braising (pot-roasting) if the amounts of the liquid are adequate to partially submerge the meat portions in the liquid even though vegetables are added in a casserole. In this recipe there are two purposes and ways to add vegetables.

As noted below the cooking liquid is usually used as a sauce or gravy so one purpose of the vegetables is to make a flavourful sauce as well as to season the meat. Cutting the vegetables in large chunks is fine in this case as the sauce/gravy will either be blended or sieved before using. 

If you want to serve it like a casserole like Chicken Caccitore, then the vegetables are cut finer and of a variety that is visually appealing as well as imparting a nice flavour to the meat.

Here is Wikipedia's definition of braising that I think sums it up perfectly :

Most braises follow the same basic steps. The food to be braised (meats, vegetables, mushrooms, etc.) is first pan-seared to brown its surface and enhance its flavor (through the Maillard reaction).

If the food will not produce enough liquid of its own, a small amount of cooking liquid that often includes an acidic element (e.g.,tomatoes, beer, balsamic vinegar, wine), is added to the pot, often with stock. A classic braise is done with a relatively whole cut of meat, and the braising liquid will cover 2/3 of the product while in the pan. Then, the dish is covered and cooked at a very low simmer, until the meat becomes so tender that it can be 'cut' with just the gentlest of pressure from a fork (vs., a knife). Often the cooking liquid is finished to create a sauce or gravy, as well.^[3][4]

Sometimes, foods with high water content (particularly vegetables) can be cooked in their own juices, making the addition of liquid unnecessary.^[5]A successful braise intermingles the flavors of the foods being cooked, with those of the cooking liquid. This cooking method dissolves the meat's collagen into gelatin, which can greatly enrich and thicken the liquid.

Braising is economical (as it allows the use of tough and inexpensive cuts), and efficient (as it often enables an entire meal to be prepared in just a single dish -- the pot/pan).

The Performance

Whole rabbit, cut up
2 tbsp or so Dijon mustard
1/2 bunch of celery diced or chunked if making sauce
1 large sweet onion, chopped or 
  1 bag pearl onions, peeled if making casserole
2 carrots, cut on the diagonal
2 cups white grapes
1 1/4 cup hard apple cider
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbsp flour
2 bay leaves
salt and pepper
butter/oil for frying


Rub Dijon mustard over the washed and dried portions of rabbit. Let sit while chopping the vegetables. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sear meat in a butter/oil mixture or as I did, lard/oil mix in a large pan until golden brown in colour. Remove meat. Saute the onions, carrots and celery until softened. Add flour and cook for 2 minutes to remove flour taste. Deglaze with the hard cider, scraping up the stuck bits. Put chicken stock, rabbit, bay leaves, salt and pepper in a casserole dish or dutch oven. Add the vegetable/cider mixture.

Cover and cook for 35 minutes. Add grapes and cook, uncovered, for another 10 minutes.

Serve on a bed of braised fennel with a grilled portabello mushroom just under the rabbit. 

If making a sauce, remove a spoonful of grapes and some of the carrots. Using a hand blender, whiz up the remaining liquid and solids until smooth. Add grapes and carrots back in and serve.
If leaving as a casserole, arrange the vegetables in a pleasing way around the rabbit and on the fennel, adding a bit of the juice over top.

Braised Fennel

I bulb of fennel, fronds removed, thinly sliced into spears
1/2 sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp celery seed
olive oil
good 7 or 8 dashes of white wine vinegar
Chicken stock/white wine to cover the fennel, about two cups of each
kosher salt
fresh ground pepper

Place all ingredients in baking dish. Braise for approx 30 minutes. Leave in liquid and use a slotted spoon to remove fennel to serve.

Behind the scenes

So, what did I think of rabbit? Dare I say it? It tastes like chicken. Okay, so I do so dare. It really does. Just a very moist and tender chicken. Hares are larger animals so I would assume more meat which I think would make this a more economical meal - at least until I could find a cheaper, local source. One rib and leg portion had almost no meat on it at all. The breast/flank portion was fairly substantial and very juicy. I'm not sure how roasting would affect the moistness of the meat but I can say that the rabbit was juicier than chicken that I have prepared in a similar manner, even though they were pretty moist themselves.

I don't think that rabbit is going to replace chicken as our meat of choice but I can see it being an alternative a few times a year. I hope you give it a go too !


Starter: Green Pea Soup with Mint
Sides: Roasted Honey Walnut Beets 
            Roasted Yellow Potatoes with Bacon and Scallions 




all text and photographs ©michelle levasseur The Groaning Board 2014