Run Rabbit Run!

[tekobo]

I am not keen on lean meat and could never see the point of rabbit until we had a wonderful meal at Filippo's in Piedmont, Italy way back in 2017.  It included rabbit, cooked slowly over fire right beside you in the dining room.  It was a memorable experience.  I don't have Filippo's experience or skill but my 32 Big Bad gave me a leg up in the tools department.  Here is Filippos set up:

Here is my husband's job of getting the rabbit attached to my KK spit. 

Here is the rabbit, cooked at 150C in the KK.  Took under an hour and I took it off at about 70C.  My father-in-law had fond memories of eating rabbit in post-war England - a source of protein when meat was still heavily rationed - and came round specially to try some.  It didn't disappoint.  Nice, moist and tasty.  Served here with fennel forward sides.  Eating the front leg was not dissimilar to eating a chicken wing.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 9, 2023 by tekobo

[tony b]

My Dad and I hunted rabbits when I was a kid. We raised beagles for this purpose. So, I grew up eating my share of rabbit. Mom mostly fried them like chicken or stewed them with dumplings. Like @tekobo - I got my first taste of a roasted one while vacationing in Italy (Venice) many years ago. I have to admit that I've not made one yet on my KK. 

[MacKenzie]

@Tekobo, looks delicious and it sure is a lot larger than the wild rabbits we have around here. I had that same experience in Spain, just north of Javea, it was a farmhouse way out in the boonies. We had beef steak. They showed us the steak before putting in the fireplace to cook. I remember thinking, didn't say it, "I wouldn't even buy that steak if I saw it in the store. How wrong I was, it was awesome and I have never forgotten that meal.

Edited July 9, 2023 by MacKenzie

[tekobo]

Common themes here.  Italians make simple ingredients taste great and food like rabbit is common place on the continent but is generally seen as old school in the English speaking world.   It is a little bony and lean but I look forward to trying it in different recipes - low and slow on the KK for instance or braised in nice stews.  

[Tyrus]

I have too say there's nothing like watching your dinner turn before you in a stone forge fire while sipping on a bottle of Italian red. You have me there, but your husband had that rabbit wrangled quite nicely and I wouldn't trade off either as the better experience. Judging by the size of your bunny it appears he was quite large as bunnies go, did he come from a nearby farm?

[C6Bill]

I had a couple as pets growing up so I’ll pass, but that does look yummy lol

[tekobo]

10 hours ago, Tyrus said:

Judging by the size of your bunny it appears he was quite large as bunnies go, did he come from a nearby farm?

Thanks @Tyrus.  The rabbit came from our butcher in Italy.  I brought it back frozen and only just had the courage to cook it.   Difficult to buy rabbit in towns in the UK.  

@C6Bill, I guess I am not as sentimental as you.  My very first pet was a white rabbit with pink eyes called Jane.  We didn't eat her but I did keep chickens that we eventually ate.  A funny feeling I will have to admit.   

[tony b]

A friend of mine grew up on a sheep farm and one of his "rites of passage" was when he was old enough that his Dad let him go out and pick a nice fat lamb to butcher for Easter dinner. He had no qualms about it at all. 

[Poochie]

"Sheep lie"