Cooking with rabbit.

Once you have installed these traps, you will have a good supply of organic fresh meat! Low in fat and more nutritious than turkey, not unlike chicken ...white meat with a fine grain, rabbit can be stewed, 'BBQ'ed, made into pies and soups. The wild rabbit has a slightly gammier flavour than those bred for the food market and is a popular dish on the continent.

When selecting your rabbits for consuming, make sure they have healthy skins, clear bright eyes and no sign of disease. Wild rabbit does not require hanging, and if you are unsure about preparation, your local butcher may help.  I have found that portioning the rabbit into eight pieces, keeping the front and hind leg portions and the saddle - a tender peice of meat found on each side of the lower back, and discarding the the left over ribs and spine, to be the easiest way to prepare the rabbit for cooking.

A SIMPLE STEW.

Coat the prepared rabbit portions with plain flour seasoned with salt, pepper, and a generous pinch of dried mustard, then seal in a hot pan with a little oil. You may need to do this in two or three batches depending on how much rabbit you have. ( Two average sized rabbits will feed three to four people).  Set aside in a large casserole dish.                                                                                              

Slice some onion and a carrot or two and fry in same pan used to seal rabbit joints. When onion has softened and turned golden in colour place on top of rabbit in casserole dish. Add some beef stock, a generous pinch of mustard, and a generous pinch of dried Tarragon. Cover and place in oven at 160oc for 2 to 3 hours. If sauce is a little runny, thicken with a spoon of instant gravy powder. Easy!

Serve with roast potatoes and some green veg.