Kitchen Garden Forum

We have hundreds of rabbits at our field and a fried with a rifle. Simple/basic ways to cook them please?

Mole

Brings back memories Mole. Mum used to make Rabbit stew - delicious.Chicken was in very short supply during the war years so we had rabbit regularly.

Don't think they were ever shot tho'. Dad and co would go rabbiting with ferrets. Their necks were broken and they had to be hung before being skinned.

Use it as you would chicken. caseroled with veggies.
It cooks very tender. I will look in Mum's old recipe boks see if I can find anything.

Beryl.

RABBIT HOT-POT

1 young rabbit jointed
4 rashers bacon - chopped
l tablespoon chopped parsley
grated rind of a lemon
nutmeg
salt and peppper
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 cup water
1 oz flour
1 oz butter

METHOD

Wash and dry rabbit
Mix flour with salt, pepper and nutmeg and roll rabbit in it.
Fry pieces of rabbit in butter for about 5 minutes.
Grease a deep overproof dish and add half the breadcrumbs. Lay the rabbit and bacon then more breadcrumbs on top.
Add any butter that is left. Half fill the dish with water.
Cover with greased proof paper and bake in slow oven for about an hour or till rabbit is tender.


You could add root veg to this if you want to.

Thanks Beryl - will try that soon and report back - sounds just the sort of thing I'm after!

Mole

This is from my M & S. book.

GAMEKEEPERS CASSEROLE

Cooking oil for frying
1 onion finely chopped
4 oz unsmoked steaky bacon - chopped
2lb rabbit jointed
flour for coating
salt and pepper
1 table spoon tomato puree
3/4 pint dry cider
1 bouquet garni or 1 teaspoon mixed dried herbs
3 medium carrots - peel and sliced

METHOD

Heat 2 -3 spoons oil in a flameproof casserole dish. Add the onion and bacon, fry till golden-brown. Coat the rabbit with seasoned flour and add to casserole. Brown on all sides. Stir in tomato puree and cider and bring slowly to the boil, stirring constantly. Add herbs and the carrot. Cover casserole and cook in moderate oven Gas 4, 180c/350f for 1 and 1/2 half hours or till rabbit is tender.

Roast Rabbit


Whole Rabbit, skinned and cleaned
4 rashers bacon
3 oz butter, melted


Weigh rabbit and allow 15 mins per lb. roasting time and 15 mins over

Stand in roasting tin
Top with bacon
Coat with melted butter

Put into centre hot oven 425F or gas 7
Roast for 15 mins. reduce temp. to 350F Gas 4 and continue to roast for required time.
Basting frequently.

Serve with cranberry sauce and veggies.

(from the Dairy book of Home Cookery)
PS - what times dinner?

Hi Mole

Can't wait for my neighbours to get out shooting again.

If Beryl's excellent recipes are not enough for you, here's another 25( ) from the National Ferret Welfare Society ( )

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/ferreter/recipes.htm

Bon appetit

Alan

Alan,

I was interested to see your recipes for rabbit came from a Ferret site. The reason I mention it because - and I may be wrong here - I thought that animals killed and intended for eating are not shot. Is it something to do with the pellets used, the gun shot etc. that will contaminate the meat?

I would be concerned if Mole really did intend to eat rabbits that had been shot rather than caught by other means.

Beryl.

Thanks for the recipes Beryl and Alan.

The rabbits have been shot with a rifle. I don't eat the bullets...

People regularly eat gamebirds which have been shot with a shotgun - they just avoid the pellets I don't think it's a problem.

Mole

No, it's not. Enjoy.

Alan

Thanks for putting me straight.

Beryl.

This one is from John our butcher, we've tried it and it's delicious.
Rabbit portions
2/3 slices white bread-crusts cut off
Dijon mustard
4 strips streaky bacon cut into small pieces
tablespoon mixed herbs
salt & pepper
Celery & carrot
White wine or dry cider
Flour rabbit, brown in oil put in casserole dish.
Fry bacon add to casserole.
Sprinkle with herbs. salt & pepper.
Chop celery & carrot into small pieces & add.
Spread bread on both sides with mustard & place over meat & veg.
Pour in enough wine to make a sauce & cook for 1-11/2 hours gas 4 170-180C.
The bread melts down into the sauce.

Beryl - ferrets are used to drive rabbits out of the ground, into a net, which means they have their necks rung as opposed to being shot.

If they are cleanly shot by someone with a good eye, it's easy to avoid the wound site, just as you would any other game, such as pheasants.

Thanks Tigger, yes I do understand that.
I know my Dad always used ferrets. He always said there was an art in 'snapping' a rabbits neck to avoid unnecessary suffering. And of coure the other point - I won't say he was poaching but it made less noise.

Its just I was concerned that a bullet doesn't always end up where it is supposed to but Mole is obviously experience at these things.

Beryl.

If your friend is a good shot, ask him to aim for the little ones - the big guys can be tough as an old boot. One way around it is to steam the joints for about 20 minutes before proceeding with your rabbit recipe, but if bunny is a real veteran, even a 4 hour slow cooker job won't render it tender.