RABBIT MOLE

Rabbit Mole image

It is during the coldest months that soft and fuzzy animals suddenly seem fair game. Deer becomes venison, and then becomes dinner. Rabbit is served as lapin à la moutarde, or pappardelle et coniglio, or conejo en mole -- more elegant phrasing perhaps, but rabbit stew all the same. Traditional rabbit stews are usually rather painstaking. A perfect Mexican mole sauce, I was told by an octogenarian cook in Oaxaca, the world capital of mole sauce, is a full day's work -- pounding, crushing, roasting, mixing and simmering. In any culture, the work is worth the delicious final product.

Provided by Molly O'Neill

Time 1h

Yield Four to five servings

Number Of Ingredients 20

Ingredients

1 tablespoon bacon fat
1 2 1/2-pound rabbit, cut into 7 pieces
1 medium onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, plus more to taste
2 cups chicken broth
8 dried ancho chilies, soaked in 2 cups boiling water for 30 minutes
1 cup drained, stewed whole tomatoes
1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted
1 tablespoon oregano
2 whole cloves
2 whole allspice
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
9 cloves garlic, peeled
1/4 cup ripe banana
2 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
1/2 ounce bitter chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

Steps:

In a large heavy casserole, warm the bacon fat. Add the rabbit pieces and brown well. Add the onion, garlic and seasonings. Cook until the onion is soft, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Turn heat to low. Simmer for 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, to make the mole sauce, drain the chilies, reserving 1 tablespoon of the soaking liquid. Stem and seed the chilies. Place the chilies, tomatoes, sesame seeds, oregano, cloves, allspice, cinnamon and garlic in a blender and puree until very smooth. Add the reserved liquid, banana, bread crumbs, chocolate and salt. Process until smooth, stopping to scrape sides of bowl.
Remove the rabbit pieces from the broth. Whisk in the mole sauce. Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. Return rabbit to pan. Simmer until thick, about 15 minutes. Serve with white rice or warm flour tortilla.

Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 553, UnsaturatedFat 13 grams, Carbohydrate 34 grams, Fat 23 grams, Fiber 10 grams, Protein 54 grams, SaturatedFat 6 grams, Sodium 1063 milligrams, Sugar 7 grams, TransFat 0 grams