Pan-Roasted Rabbit with Fresh Herbs
Submitted by dianneb
Pan-roasted rabbit marinated two days in brandy, red wine, juniper berries, and fresh herbs, then braised with chicken stock and served over wilted spinach and beet greens. A classic French farmhouse dish.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
2 daysCOOK
110 minREADY
2 daysFew dishes reward patience like a properly marinated rabbit. This French-style pan-roast takes a full two days of marinating in brandy, red wine, olive oil, crushed juniper berries, and a bouquet of thyme, rosemary, savory, marjoram, oregano, and bay. By the time it hits the pan, the meat has picked up woodsy, resinous depth you can’t force with any shortcut.
Butchering the rabbit into pieces of varying size (forelegs, hind legs quartered, rib sections, loin, neck) matters because different cuts cook at different speeds. The tender loins and ribs come out around 50 minutes while the tougher legs need the full 90.
Blanching the whole garlic cloves twice, then roasting them slowly, mellows their bite into something sweet and creamy that gets stirred back into the reduced sauce at the end.
Pro Tips
- Marinate the full 48 hours. Skipping to 24 won’t give the herbs enough time to penetrate the dense rabbit meat.
- Pat the rabbit completely dry before browning. Wet meat steams instead of searing, and the Maillard crust makes the dish.
- Deglaze the pan with white wine between every batch. Those browned bits are the foundation of the final sauce.
- Check pieces at 50 minutes, not 90. Overcooked loin turns dry and stringy fast.
Variations
- Swap juniper berries for crushed allspice if juniper is hard to find, though you lose some of the characteristic gin-like note.
- Serve over soft polenta instead of spinach for a heartier, more rustic plate.
- Use whole chicken legs if rabbit is unavailable; same marinade, cook time about 45 minutes.
Ingredients
Directions
Blanch 1½ pounds of fresh spinach, stems removed, and reserved greens from 4 beets.
Drain, rinse under cold water and squeeze out all of the liquid.
Toss the greens in a skillet over medium-high beat with 2 tablespoons of butter and until heated through.
Season with salt.
To Marinate: You can do this yourself, or you can ask your butcher to cut up your rabbit as follows: forelegs left whole, hind legs cut into 3 pieces each (lower joint; thigh cut diagonally into 2 pieces), rib section cut into 3 pieces, loin cut into 3 pieces, neck left whole.
At least 2 days before serving, place the rabbit in a shallow glass or enamel pan and add marinade ingredients.
Turn rabbit pieces over to coat.
Marinate, covered, in refrigerator, turning occasionally.
Preheat you oven to 325℉ (160℃).
Remove the rabbit from the marinade.
In a heavy large skillet, heat about ¼ cup of olive oil over medium-high heat.
Add half of the rabbit pieces and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
Saute, turning pieces once, until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Transfer to oven-proof casserole.
Discard fat from skillet and add ½ cup of white wine, scraping up all of the browned bits in the pan.
Boil for 2 minutes and add the liquids out of the skillet to the casserole.
Repeat the procedure, browning the remaining rabbit, deglazing and adding rabbit and liquid to the casserole.
Bring the brown chicken stock to a boil; skim, if necessary, and pour it into the casserole (liquid should not quite cover meat). Place the casserole, partially covered, in the lower third of the oven.
After 50 minutes, check the forelegs, racks and loins.
If they are tender, remove them.
Continue cooking until all of the remaining pieces are tender, 1 to 1½ hours total cooking time (timing can vary depending on size and tenderness of the rabbit).
Transfer to serving plates and keep warm.
Meanwhile, blanch the garlic in boiling salted water for 30 seconds; drain.
Blanch again for 30 seconds, drain.
Place in a small skillet with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and sauté over high heat for 1 minute.
Place the skillet in the oven until the garlic is golden, 25 to 30 minutes.
Cut each clove into 3 or 4 pieces; set aside.
When the rabbit is tender, place the skillet with cooking liquid over high heat and boil until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Skim all of the fat from the surface. In a small cup, stir together the arrowroot and water; whisk the mixture into the reduced cooking liquid and return to a boil.
Add brandy, adjust seasonings with salt and pepper, and skim again if necessary.
Stir in the reserved garlic pieces, and pour over the rabbit.
Serve your rabbit with Roast Beef Puree, spinach and beet greens.
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