Article: Creamed Rabbit with Bacon
Creamed Rabbit with Bacon
A rich, hearty dish straight from the wild. Slow cooked rabbit braised in cream and wrapped in smoky bacon. Simple ingredients, serious flavour.
Serves 4
Ingredients
- 1 whole rabbit, butchered into pieces
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 0.5 pounds bacon, chopped
- 1 teaspoons salt
- 0.5 teaspoons black pepper
Steps
Prepare the rabbit: Break down 1 whole rabbit, butchered into pieces into serving pieces — front legs, back legs, and saddle. Pat every piece completely dry with a cloth or paper towel. Season generously on all sides with 1 teaspoons salt and 0.5 teaspoons black pepper. Don't rush this step. Dry meat browns. Wet meat steams.
Render the bacon: In a heavy cast iron pan or Dutch oven over medium heat, cook 0.5 pounds bacon, chopped until the fat renders out and the pieces are starting to crisp at the edges. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and set aside, leaving every bit of that fat in the pan.
Brown the rabbit: Working in batches if needed, lay the rabbit pieces into the hot bacon fat and brown them well on all sides — 3 to 8 minutes per side. You're building flavour here, so don't crowd the pan and don't move the pieces until they release on their own. Remove and set aside with the bacon.
Deglaze and build the braise: Pour off any excess fat if needed, leaving just a thin coating on the bottom of the pan. Pour in 2 cups heavy cream and use a wooden spoon to scrape up every browned bit from the bottom — that's where the flavour lives. Return the rabbit pieces and bacon to the pan, nestling everything together.
Braise low and slow: Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and let everything braise gently until the rabbit is completely tender and pulling away from the bone. Check occasionally and turn the pieces once halfway through. Low and slow is the only way — push the heat and the meat tightens up on you.
Reduce and finish: Remove the rabbit pieces and set aside. Increase the heat to medium and let the cream sauce reduce, stirring occasionally, until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Return the rabbit to the pan, spoon the sauce over everything, and serve straight from the pan.
Notes
Wild rabbit will be leaner and more flavourful than farmed and it may need a little longer in the braise, so go by feel rather than the clock. The meat is done when it gives easily at the joint and pulls cleanly from the bone. Serve as is for a true carnivore meal, or alongside roasted root vegetables if you're feeding people who need something under it.
There it is — Creamed Rabbit with Bacon. Cast iron, bacon fat, low and slow.
Laisser un commentaire
Ce site est protégé par hCaptcha, et la Politique de confidentialité et les Conditions de service de hCaptcha s’appliquent.