Best Rabbit With Vanilla Almond Marinade Recipes

MARINATED AND STEWED RABBIT

Steps:

• *Note: for mushrooms, may use 1 ounce dried porcini, soaked in water to soften, drained (reserve soaking liquid) and mixed with ½ lb button mushrooms.
• Mix the wine, vinegar, and chopped carrot and chopped onion in a bowl large enough to hold the rabbit.
• Tie together the parsley or thyme, or put in a cheesecloth sack or tea ball; add the herb to the marinade with the rabbit; add some salt and pepper.
• Marinate in the refrigerator, turning the rabbit pieces occasionally, for 12-24 hours.
• Strain the marinade, reserving it, and dry the rabbit pieces.
• Cut the bacon into bits and render it over med-low heat in a Dutch oven or large deep skillet.
• When it has given up much of its fat and is becoming nice and crisp, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside.
• Add in 2 cups minced onion, diced carrot, and diced celery; cook/stir over med-low heat; chop the mushrooms and add them too.
• When the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes later, remove them with a slotted spoon and set aside with the bacon.
• Turn the heat to med-high; dredge the rabbit pieces in flour, and brown them in the fat that remains in the pan.
• Season them with salt and pepper as they brown.
• When they are browned, decrease the heat and return the vegetables and bacon to the pan; stir, then add the chocolate, some salt, and plenty of pepper.
• Decrease the heat even further, cover, and cook until the rabbit is tender and the sauce is thick, about 1 hour.
• If the sauce is too thin, remove the meat to a warm oven and reduce the sauce over high heat, stirring near constantly, until it is a pleasant thickness.
• Remove the herbs; check and correct seasoning; serve immediately with buttered noodles, rice, or crusty bread.

RABBIT WITH VANILLA-ALMOND MARINADE

Steps:

• Cut the rabbit saddles into two or three pieces each. Set them aside with the meaty rear legs. Bone the rib sections, putting the meat with the saddles and legs. Set aside the other bony rabbit parts for the sauce, reserving liver, etc., for another use (such as pate).
• Grind the whole almonds in a food processor until they are almost paste. Add the onions and grind again until a thick, grainy sauce is formed, then whirl in the lime juice, vanilla seeds, vanilla oil and salt.
• Coat each meaty piece of rabbit with the marinade and set it in a single layer in a shallow glass or china dish such as a rectangular baking pan. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to marinate for four hours at room temperature or eight hours in the refrigerator.
• Place the bony parts in a large saucepan or kettle with the onion, peppercorns and garlic. Cover generously with water, using at least five cups. Bring the liquid to a boil, then reduce to a simmer, cover the pan and cook for two hours.
• Uncover and cook one to one-and-a-half hours more. Strain the broth and taste. It should be quite strongly flavored. If it is not, return to the heat and reduce to concentrate. You should get about three cups of broth, of which you will need one-and-a-half cups. (The remainder may be used in recipes calling for chicken stock.)
• About one hour before serving time, place a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat to 450 degrees. Put a generous layer, about one-eighth inch, of vanilla oil in a shallow baking pan, such as a jellyroll pan, large enough to hold the rabbit pieces in one well-separated layer.
• Scrape the marinade from the rabbit, reserving it and any juices that have collected. Dredge each piece of meat with flour, making sure all parts are coated, and place on the prepared pan.
• Put the rabbit in the oven, bake 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 425 degrees and bake 15 minutes more. Using tongs, turn the pieces over. Add more oil if they seem to be sticking. Cook 15 to 25 minutes more, until the meat is well browned and the juices run clear when a piece is pricked.
• While the rabbit is cooking, combine the reserved marinade and juices with one-and-a-half cups of the rabbit broth. Simmer over low heat for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until all the raw onion flavor is gone and a thick, well-balanced sauce has formed. Taste and add salt as desired.
• To serve, place the rabbit in the center of a warmed serving platter and surround with a border of sauce, using half of it. Garnish the platter with lime slices and serve the remaining sauce separately.