I actually wasn't sure if I should post this recipe being that rabbit is not a very popular meat here in the UK, but in the spirit of preserving my mother's recipes, I owe it to my readers and my country to share. The best thing about this recipe is the sauce and it is incredibly versatile. It lends inself to other white meats, think chicken, turkey and pork. So feel free to substitute the rabbit for any of these. You won't regret it, the sauce is gorgeous.
Enjoy XOXOXO
Braised Rabbit with Fried Potatoes ❦ Coelho Guisado com Batatas Fritas
Serves 4
For the braise
1 Rabbit approx. weight 1,300 kilo,
Ask your butcher to joint it for you
4 Egg yolks
1 Onion, peeled and finely chopped
1 Leek, white part only, finely chopped
2 Carrots, peeled and finely chopped
4 Garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 Lemon, juice only
60 g. Bacon lardons
70 ml. Extra virgin olive oil
80 ml. Tomato passata
250 ml. Dry white wine
200 ml. Chicken stock
Plain flour for dredging meat as needed
About 8 tbsps.
2 Flat leaf parsley stalks, leave whole so you can discard later.
For the potatoes
800 g. Potatoes for frying, such as Maris Piper, peeled and cubed and placed in bowl covered with water to prevent them browning
1 litre Vegetable oil for frying
To serve
Flat leaf parsley,finely chopped
Toasted bread
1. Heat a large pan on high heat and add olive oil and bacon, sauté until lightly brown.
1. Place flour in a bowl.
Season rabbit generously with salt and pepper and dredge in flour shaking off excess, place on a plate and set aside.
2. Heat a large pan on high heat and add olive oil, bacon and rabbit pieces, sauté until they gain a bit of colour stirring often. Lower heat to low and add onion, garlic, carrots, parsley stalks and leek.
3. Add white wine, it will sizzle, tomato passata, bay leaves and chicken stock. Cover and let simmer on low/medium heat for 30 minutes.
4. After 30 minutes, remove rabbit to a bowl and set aside.
Beat the egg yolkand with a ladle, scoop out a bit of hot sauce from pan. Add to eggs while whisking constantly to temper the yolks. Add tempered eggs back to pan with sauce. On a low heat let sauce cook for 5 minutes to thicken. Do not let it come to the boil. Add rabbit back to sauce. It's ready :)
For the potatoes
Drain the potatoes and pat dry using a kitchen tea towel.
Fill a high sided pot on high heat, with the vegetable oil.
Heat oil to 180°c/350°f
Add all the potatoes to the hot oil. The temperature will drop to about 150°c/300°f, and will remain at this temperature steadily. Let potatoes fry for approximately14 minutes, give them a stir about halfway through. They will fry to perfection, drain on paper towel lined plate.
To serve
Place rabbit in centre of platter and potatoes around along with toasted bread. Add chopped parsley and serve immediately.
Add hot sauce to egg yolks to temper
