Rabbit Recipes: Marinated Rabbit

Please enjoy the sixth entry in our collection of some of our favorite recipes for a great rabbit dinner!

First, a bit about our pastured rabbit:

Although somewhat an uncommon meat in the United States, rabbit is a popular meat in much of the rest of the world, especially in Europe.

Rabbit is a very healthy meat. It is lower in fat than turkey, chicken, beef or pork, and has a higher percentage of protein than any of them, too. It is very easy to digest and is often used for people on special diets. Weathertop rabbit is also unique in that our rabbits eat fresh grass every day, resulting in high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their meat.

A word about cooking your rabbit: As with all pasture-raised meats, you will need to cook rabbit a little "lower and slower" (lower heat and longer time) to prevent it from drying out. Also, because rabbit is so low in fat, it is advisable to cook it in a method using moisture, such as in a sauce, or well-covered.

Enjoy!


MARINATED RABBIT

1 rabbit cut up
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
3 Tbsp oil

For Sauce:
12 pickled cocktail onions
12 stuffed olives, sliced
1/2 lb fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 Tbsp butter

For Marinade:
2 cups red wine
2 cups chicken broth
1 tsp allspice
2 bay leaves
1 tsp thyme

Rub rabbit pieces with salt and pepper. Place in bowl with marinade. Refrigerate overnight. Drain rabbit, but do not dry. Strain marinade. In large cast iron frying pan over high heat, brown all sides of rabbit quickly in oil. Pour in marinade and simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Just before rabbit is done, sauté onions, olives, and mushrooms in butter. Add to rabbit, serve with boiled potatoes.