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Rabbit has long been a part of Kentucky’s food culture, and in the 19th, century was likely served almost weekly in Kentucky homes. In the Kentucky Housewife, published in 1839, there are 10 recipes for rabbit! Even today many small farmers raise rabbits, and we are lucky enough to have it readily available year-round. A favorite way of preparing rabbit around this area is to fry the rabbit and serve it in a cream gravy, startlingly similar to Jacques Pepin’s Blanquette of Rabbit, found in The Art of Cooking Volume 1. I bought those books in my first week at chef school in 1989 and have pored over them for many years. This blanquette recipe is inspired by Jacques’, and by its familiarity to Kentucky tastes. The silver dollar hoecakes are another Kentucky tradition and really bring the dish home.

Kentucky Summer Rabbit Two Ways

Ouita Michel

Ouita Michel

Category

Serves

2

For the Braised Rabbit Legs and the Loin Roulades

Ingredients

  • 1 large, dressed rabbit
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour
  • ¼ cup cornmeal
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 cups Rabbit Stock with fat reserved (see below)
  • ¼ cup minced shallot
  • ½ cup dry white wine
  • ¼ cup roasted garlic
  • ½ cup heavy cream
  • ½ cup combined small leaves of thyme, oregano, basil and garlic chives
  • 1 large roasted pepper, julienned
  • Zest of 1 lemon
  • 2 tablespoons cured olives, halved and pitted
  • ½ cup peeled cherry tomatoes
  • 1 cup ¼-inch thick zucchini rounds
  • Hoecakes (see below)
  • Basil, chiffonade

Method

  1. Break down the rabbit into 2 hindlegs with one bone left in, 2 forelegs, and 2 loins with the bones removed. Reserve the carcass and any bones for rabbit stock and the kidney and hearts for another use.
  2. Combine the flour and cornmeal in a shallow bowl and season with a generous pinch of salt and black pepper.
  3. In a Dutch oven or deep pot, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over medium-high heat. Dredge the hindlegs in the flour mixture to dust them on both sides, tapping off any excess, then arrange in the Dutch oven. Repeat with the forelegs and sauté turning to brown on all sides. Add a spoonful of the reserved rabbit fat as they brown, about 3 to 5 minutes per side. Remove to a small pan or plate.
  4. Add the shallot to the Dutch oven, stirring to loosen the fond (browned bits), from the bottom, lowering the heat as needed to medium. Add the white wine to deglaze, scraping up any of the remaining fond. Pour in 1 cup of the rabbit stock and return the legs to the Dutch oven. Add enough stock to come halfway up the legs. Bring the liquid to a simmer, then continue to simmer on the stovetop for about 20 minutes. Stir in the roasted garlic, heavy cream, and enough rabbit stock to maintain the level about halfway up the legs, adjusting the heat as needed to maintain a simmer. Continue to braise until the legs are tender, 10 to 15 minutes more. While the legs braise, prepare the loin.
  5. Preheat the oven to 375˚F.
  6. Lay the loins flat on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, butterfly the thicker area of each loin, but keep it in one piece. Sprinkle the loins with some of the herbs. Set any remaining herbs aside. Lay strips of the pepper in the center. Roll up the loins, securing with the flap, and tie with kitchen twine to secure.
  7. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a medium cast iron skillet over medium heat. Dredge the rolled loins in the cornmeal mixture, and place in the pan. Sauté, turning and spooning the butter over the loins as they cook, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to the oven until cooked through, about 12 minutes. Let rest for a few minutes before slicing.
  8. To finish the braised legs, stir in the lemon zest, any remaining herbs from rolling the loins, the olives, and tomatoes. Simmer for about 10 minutes. Just before serving, stir in the zucchini and season to taste with salt.
  9. Set a hindleg and a foreleg on each plate. Arrange overlapping hoecakes on the side. Spoon the olives, tomatoes and zucchini around the plate and top with some of the sauce. Untie the loins and slice each in half on the diagonal and add to the plate. Spoon over a little more sauce and sprinkle with the basil.

For the Hoecakes, makes about 16 silver dollar-sized

Ingredients

  • 1 cup stone ground cornmeal
  • 1 tablespoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Method

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and the buttermilk, and then whisk the wet ingredients into the dry.
  2. Heat a skillet over medium heat and add the butter to melt. Drop small spoonfuls of batter into the skillet. Cook until a rich golden brown along the edges before flipping, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat in batches.

For the Rabbit Stock, makes about 3 cups

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 rabbit carcass and any reserved bones
  • ½ carrot
  • 2 shallots or ½ onion
  • ½ rib celery
  • ¼ cup dry white wine
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 4 sprigs thyme or a good pinch of dry thyme
  • 2 whole peppercorns
  • 1 quart water

Method

  1. In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Brown the carcass and bones on all sides, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan. Stir in the carrot, shallot, and celery and cook until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Pour in the wine, stirring to loosen any browned bits on the bottom. Add the carcass and bones back to the pan. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and peppercorns. Pour in the water and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until a rich and flavorful stock 1 ½ to 2 hours.
  2. Cool and then strain the liquid. Refrigerate for the fat to rise to the top. The stock can be refrigerated for up to 1 week or frozen for up to 3 months.

In the Know

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