Recipes

Secret Garden Rabbit

Ingredients: 

RABBIT

  • 1 rabbit (1/4 per person ) – saddle, shoulder and leg separate (kidneys and livers reserved)
  • 2 litres of chicken stock
  • 2 skinless boneless chicken breast
  • 200ml whipping cream
  • olive oil
  • salt
  • thyme sprigs
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 8 garlic cloves
  • 2 tbsp wholegrain mustard

SECRET GARDEN

  • 500g baby spinach
  • 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • 1kg button mushrooms
  • 2 shallots, sliced
  • 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
  • olive oil
  • balsamic vinegar
  • truffle oil
  • Toasted breadcrumbs with olive oil and lemon zest
  • Chives
  • Shimeji mushrooms
  • Wood sorrel
  • Tapioca maltodextrin powder

Method: 

  • Break down and debone the rabbit as well as the saddles, keeping the kidneys and liver (you can ask your local butcher to do this for you).
  • Heat oil in a pot and sear legs and shoulder meat and add salt, thyme sprigs, a couple of bay leaves and a few garlic cloves. Deglaze with a little chicken stock and then add all the stock. Braise the rabbit for 1 1/2 hours in an oven at 190°C. Remove the rabbit and set aside, reserving chicken stock/braising liquid for serving. Shred the meat off the legs and shoulders and place into a bowl.
  • Place the chicken breasts in a blender and blitz, slowly adding cream to form a paste. Remove the chicken paste from the blender – cover, cling wrap and refrigerate. Sauté the liver and kidneys briefly and then chop them up roughly and chill. Mix the chicken mousse, shredded leg meat and chopped livers together. Cover and chill until needed.
  • Season the rabbit saddles with salt and spread with wholegrain mustard. Roll about 1/2 cup of mousse filling into a thin sausage (about the length of the saddle) and lay it along the spine of the saddle. Roll the saddle up neatly, making sure the filling is neatly tucked in the middle. Roll it up tightly in clingwrap, tying both ends and allow to chill until needed. Roll any leftover mousse into walnut sized bowls, cover and set aside for later.
  • Add some olive oil to a large saucepan and sauté the shallots, add the garlic and mushrooms and cook for about 20 minutes. Add the rabbit rolls to a bamboo steamer and steam for about 15 minutes. Then remove it from steamer and take off the clingwrap. Pan fry the rabbit roll, (seam side down first) in a generous amount of butter until golden in colour. Fry the leftover stuffing balls in some butter until golden.
  • Slice the rabbit, laying it down on a metal tray. Season to taste and place it back in the oven right before serving to allow it to warm through. Sauté the shimeji mushrooms briefly in olive oil and season. Place the breadcrumbs, lemon zest, chopped chives and olive oil into pan and toast slightly, remove and drain on paper towel. Wilt the spinach in a tablespoon of olive oil and a splash of water. Drain the spinach well, removing any excess water. Reduce the reserved chicken braising liquid until it forms a syrupy consistency. Add the tapioca powder to a bowl and whisk in 3-4 Tbsp. olive oil so it resembles snow. Plate and serve.

Courtesy FNSA