Hop, Hop, Hop

I still remember vividly the first time I had rabbit meat. I was fourteen. My parents were in the US, so my grandma came to stay with me in Beijing. With just the two of us, she made all my favorite food. The aroma in the kitchen was so irresistible that I often sat on a stool in the kitchen while she cooked, and nibbled on whatever that was done. One day, she braised some mysterious meat. It smelled so delicious that I couldn't wait for dinner. So grandma gave me a bowl. It was just as scrumptious as it smelled, so tasty that I couldn't stop myself. I asked for more and more, until grandma looked at me in surprise and said that there wasn't any left. I had finished more than a pound of meat ALL by myself!!! (Yes, I was going through a growth spurt. =) This mysterious meat was rabbit. I also remember grandma telling me that rabbit meat doesn't have much taste - it will take on whatever it's cooked with. While I hear a lot of people comparing rabbit meat to chicken, what I remembered was very similar to pork.

Awhile ago, I saw some wrapped up frozen rabbits at an Asian grocery store. (No, they didn't look like Thumper. There was no skin, and just like chicken, the head, feet and insides were all gone.) I bought one on impulse without a single clue what I would do with it. So there it stayed in the freezer for a few months. Quite a few! Then last week, all of a sudden I got the urge to tackle this frozen log. I read up on Judy Rodgers' Zuni Cafe Cookbook. While Ms. Rodgers explained nicely how to cut up a rabbit, the recipes all call for one type of cuts or another. I wasn't exactly up to making multiple dishes yet, so I went to the most knowledgeable source - the Internet. This recipe seems to the best rated. While I had my doubts, since Ms. Roger said that different cuts require different cook time, I marched on trusting all those reviewers.

I didn't have any shallot or current jelly, so I substituted with onions and grape jelly. I also added a can of sliced mushrooms to the gravy. The end result, you wonder? Well, I loved the gravy! The meat itself was good, but not as amazing as the reviewers acclaimed, and definitely not as succulent as my grandma's. (And obviously not a beauty either.) Due to the long braising time, all the pieces were tender regardless of the cut, but not quite fall-off-the-bone-tender. The flavor also didn't fully penetrate into the large pieces, such as the hind legs. Even though it was very slight, there WAS a gaminess to the dish. I'm not convinced that I want to make this dish again, but it certainly gave me confidence in dealing with rabbits that next time I will try to reproduce my grandma's version.

Hasenpfeffer (Rabbit Stew)
from AllRecipes

3 pounds rabbit meat, cleaned and cut into pieces
½ teaspoon salt
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
½ pound bacon, diced
½ cup finely chopped shallots
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 cup dry red wine
1 cup water
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon granules
1 tablespoon currant jelly
10 black peppercorns, crushed
1 bay leaf
¼ teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
⅛ teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
2 teaspoons lemon juice
3 tablespoons water
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium high heat until evenly brown. Drain on paper towels and set aside. Sprinkle rabbit with salt and coat with ⅓ cup flour, shaking off excess. Brown rabbit in remaining bacon fat. Remove from skillet, along with all but 2 tablespoons of the fat, and reserve.

Saute shallots and garlic in skillet for about 4 minutes, until tender. Stir in wine, 1 cup water and bouillon. Heat to boiling, then stir in jelly, peppercorns, bay leaf, rosemary and thyme. Return rabbit and bacon to skillet. Heat to boiling, then reduce heat to low. Cover and let simmer about 1 ½ hours or until rabbit is tender.

Remove bay leaf and discard. Place rabbit on a warm platter and keep warm while preparing gravy.

To Make Gravy: Stir lemon juice into skillet with cooking liquid. Combine 3 tablespoons water with 2 tablespoons flour and mix together; stir mixture into skillet over low heat. Finally, stir in thyme. Pour gravy over stew and serve, or pour into a gravy boat and serve on the side.