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Rabbit Stew
Use all the rabbit including the head, except the saddle which is too good to stew. Brown pieces in butter or bacon fat. Line bottom of pot with bacon slices, lay rabbit on top, scattering in seasonings, minced herbs, and 2-3 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice. Near the top set 1 onion with 4-6 cloves stuck into it. Cover with boiling water and simmer until very tender. The wise hunter, making his own stew, knows that a jigger of liquor from his flask will help tender a whole potful of old rabbits.
A camp stew written for a cook who has just skinned the animal. The method is sound; a few of the assumptions behind it are not.
- Tularemia and handlingWild rabbit can carry Francisella tularensis, contracted through cuts while skinning and dressing. Wear gloves for butchering, wash everything afterwards, and cook the meat through — the stew's long simmer does that comfortably. If the animal seemed sluggish or sick, discard it.
- A jigger1.5 fl oz, about 3 tablespoons. A flask would most likely have held whiskey or brandy. It contributes flavour, not tenderising in any meaningful sense — the vinegar or lemon juice, and mostly the long moist heat, do that work.
- The headIncluded here for gelatin and flavour, as in some game cookery. Split it and remove the eyes if you use it; strain the finished broth. Leaving it out costs you body but nothing essential.
- The saddleThe loin section along the back. Held back because it is lean and cooks in minutes — roast or pan-fry it separately rather than letting it dry out in the pot.
- Simmer timeA young rabbit is tender in about 1 hour. An old one wants 2 to 2.5 hours. Keep the liquid at a bare tremble; a full boil makes the lean meat stringy.
- Farmed rabbitSupermarket rabbit is young and fatter than wild, and needs less acid. Cut the acid to a tablespoon and check for tenderness at 45 minutes.
- Seasonings and herbsUnspecified, as camp recipes often are. Thyme, parsley, a bay leaf, salt and plenty of black pepper suit the dish; the clove-studded onion supplies the rest.
- YieldOne rabbit of 2.5 to 3 lb serves three or four. Thicken the broth with a flour-and-fat roux at the end, or serve it as is over potatoes or bread.