I know what you're thinking: rabbit? How can you eat rabbit?! I know, I know. They are cute and furry, and that is hard to get over. However, our CSA farmer raised rabbits for eating last year, and I decided I wanted to give it a try. Did you know that rabbit is one of the healthiest meats out there? It has a really high protein content and the lowest percentage of fat among typically available meats. How does it taste? I don't want to say that it tastes like chicken...but it's not all that far off. I think it's a sweeter meat with a milder flavor. I've only had rabbit meat a few times -- once in college, and one time last summer in Colorado -- it was the special at this restaurant we went to in Glenwood Springs, and it sounded so unique that I just had to try it. It was AH-mazing. I told Tom that it was one of the best meals of my life. It was that good. Seriously. So, of course, when I found out I had access to locally raised rabbit meat, I decided I had to try to replicate it. Having no idea what was in the "broth" base, I recalled as best as I could the ingredients I remembered and made up the rest. The resulting "stew" (I'm hesitant to call it a stew because there's not much liquid) didn't taste just like the one at the restaurant, but I still really liked it. And, actually, I thought it tasted even better on day two after the flavors had a chance to meld a little more!
Rabbit & Gnocchi Stew
Ingredients:
- 1 whole rabbit (I think mine was roughly 3-4 pounds)
- 1 cup beer (I used one of Tom's home brews -- an amber ale would be good)
- Salt and pepper
- 1 package of good smoked bacon, chopped (pancetta would be good here, too)
- 1 medium onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic
- 2 cups cooked gnocchi (I used this recipe for Butternut Squash Gnocchi)
- 3 roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, chopped
Directions:
Place rabbit in a Crock Pot or slow cooker. Season with salt and pepper and add beer. Cook for 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low. Pull the rabbit meat apart with a fork and set aside (it should fall right off the bone). Cook bacon in a deep pan and remove when crispy. Add onions and garlic to bacon grease and cook until slightly browned. Add some of the leftover cooking liquid from the Crock Pot to the pan. Add back in bacon, and add in cooked gnocchi, tomatoes, chard and rabbit meat. Add more of the cooking liquid to the pan to create a sort of broth and stir everything together. Cook until the Swiss chard is wilted and the aromas meld fragrantly. Add any additional salt or pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
In hindsight, this meal would have been perfect for a themed Lord of the Rings marathon or something like that! Tom had a bit of a hard time getting over the idea of eating rabbit. However, I thought this dish turned out amazing. I will make it again if others are willing to eat it with me!
ABOUTME
Hi there! My name is Dana and I live in West Michigan with my husband, Tom and our dog Copernicus. I created this space as a place to share the things I learn along this journey I call life. I work in marketing and I'm a sort of Jane of All Trades, interested in all things nature, gardening, cooking, exploring and learning new things. This blog is a conglomeration of my interests, hobbies, life and life lessons. Thanks for stopping by!