RABBIT WITH SAFFRON Ingredients: Optional: Directions: Step By Step

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1 RABBIT WITH SAFFRON Serves 8 By Dennis W. Viau; modified from a recipe in Culina Mediterranea by Ullman Publishing. Rabbit tastes so much like chicken you could substitute chicken pieces for this recipe. You might find rabbit frozen in many supermarkets. I bought rabbit for this recipe at under $20. Rabbit meat has many health benefits, being high in protein and lower in cholesterol and saturated fat than chicken, turkey, beef, or pork. Although I am using pasta in this recipe, you could serve the rabbit over steamed rice, either white rice or brown rice. A mixture with wild rice would be especially good. Ingredients: 1 generous pinch of saffron threads About 3 pounds (11/3kg) rabbit pieces ¼ cup (60ml) extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic 2 sprigs fresh thyme 2 to 3 fresh sage leaves 3 whole peppercorns Salt to taste ¼ cup (60ml) dry white wine Optional: ½ cup (120ml) chicken stock, preferably homemade ¼ cup (60ml) heavy cream 1 tablespoon sweet rice flour (or corn starch) Pasta, such as pappardelle or fettuccine, enough for dinner guests Directions: If the rabbit is frozen, thaw in the refrigerator for 1 or 2 days. Soak saffron threads in hot water (about ¼ cup/60ml) and set aside for 30 minutes. If the rabbit is not already cut into pieces, cut into sections by cutting carefully through the joints. Heat oil in a large skillet. Whack the garlic cloves and the peppercorns with the broad side of a knife to break open. Cook the garlic in the hot oil for about a minute. Add the peppercorns, fresh thyme, and sage. (If the oil is really hot the thyme might pop and splatter oil; so stand back.) Place the rabbit pieces in the oil, turning to coat. Season lightly with salt. Sauté, covered, over low heat for 30 minutes. (Note: The rabbit is not browned in this recipe. The saffron will add color.) Add wine (and/or optional stock) to the skillet and simmer, uncovered, over medium-low heat for about 15 minutes to reduce the liquid to about half its volume. (You can raise the heat to medium if it appears to be reducing too slowly.) Add saffron and cook an additional 5 minutes, turning the rabbit pieces a few times to color evenly with the saffron. Remove the meat and set aside. Strain the liquid. Optional: Thicken with cream mixed with sweet rice flour (or corn starch) to make a sauce for the rabbit and pasta. Cook the pasta according to package directions, if using. To serve, plate the rabbit (and pasta). Spoon sauce over the top. Serve hot. The Step By Step guide begins on the following page

2 1 STEP-BY-STEP 2 Assemble your mise in place. The dark substance in the bowl toward the right is concentrated chicken stock. I make my own stocks and freeze them. The rabbit was purchased frozen. It was already sectioned into pieces. The ball of pasta to the left of the rabbit will be used to make pappardelle, which is commonly served with game meat such as rabbit. I m only making a small amount of pasta, enough for two servings. Naturally, a larger amount of pasta would be used to serve many guests. 2 The saffron threads need to soak in a small amount of hot water, about ¼ cup (60ml), for about 30 minutes.

3 3 3 This is the rabbit I purchased for under $20 (USD). It thawed in the refrigerator for two days. 4 Heat the oil in a large skillet for which you have a cover. Give the garlic cloves and peppercorns a whack using the broad side of a knife to break them open. Cook the garlic for about a minute and then add the peppercorns.

4 5 4 Add the fresh sage and thyme. My thyme immediately started to pop and splatter oil when I added it to the pan. Stand back. It settled down after a few seconds. 6 Add the rabbit pieces and turn them over to coat evenly with the oil. Cover the pan and sauté over low heat for 30 minutes.

5 7 5 The rabbit pieces do not brown in this recipe. The saffron will give them color when added in the next step. Add the wine (and stock, if using) and simmer, uncovered, for 15 minutes to reduce the liquid by about half its volume. 8 Add the saffron with the soaking liquid, pouring over the rabbit pieces. Turn the rabbit in the liquid to color it. Simmer an additional 5 minutes, turning the pieces occasionally.

6 9 6 Remove the rabbit from the skillet and set aside. Strain the liquid. You can thicken the liquid by adding cold cream mixed with sweet rice flour (or other thickener, such as corn starch) to make a sauce if you will be adding pasta to this recipe. 10 I made fresh pasta; so I am shaping and cutting it into pappardelle, which is traditionally served with game meat such as rabbit. In the Recipe Archive on my web site ( there is a recipe PDF for Lamb and Pappardelle which gives details for making pappardelle. You can substitute dry fettuccine in this recipe. Cook according to package directions.

7 11 7 Here is my cooked rabbit served over cooked pappardelle and garnished with the saffron sauce. Notice how the sauce colors the meat beautifully. There is no need to brown the rabbit. Conclusion Rabbit is an usual meat for many people. In my lifetime I have eaten it only twice before preparing this recipe. The flavor is so close to chicken, you could easily substitute chicken in this recipe. Rabbit is healthy meat and according to one source the US Department of Agriculture declared that domestic rabbit meat is the most nutritious meat known to man. It is high in protein and low in cholesterol and saturated fat. The flesh is closer to chicken white meat in color, but its flavor and texture is closer to that of chicken dark meat. For an occasional treat, rabbit would be appropriate for any fancy dinner.