Rabbit Pojarski Recipes

GRILLED GARLIC RABBIT

Steps:

• Wash and pat dry the rabbit pieces; place into a large resealable plastic bag. Pour in marinade and seal the bag. Turn the bag over several times to coat rabbit with marinade and allow to marinate in refrigerator 2 to 8 hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate. Reduce to low. Remove rabbit from marinade and shake off excess liquid; discard the used marinade.
• Lay the rabbit pieces onto lower rack of grill. Grill until the rabbit shows good grill marks, the meat is no longer pink inside, and the juices run clear, 12 to 15 minutes per side. An instant-read meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a piece should read at least 160 degrees F (70 degrees C).

BRAISED RABBIT

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook rabbit in oil until lightly browned; remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute onion until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, thyme, pepper and bay leaf. , Return rabbit to pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until meat is tender and a thermometer reads 160°., Remove rabbit to a serving platter. Discard bay leaf. Combine the flour, lemon juice and water until smooth; stir into pan juice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with rabbit.

VEAL POJARSKI

Steps:

• Soak the mushrooms in warm water to cover until soft (about 30 minutes), then drain and coarsely chop.
• Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• In a large skillet, melt 1/2 the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, shallot and garlic. Cook, stirring, until shallot is translucent and soft, about 5 minutes. (Do not brown.) Transfer to a plate and set aside to cool for 5 minutes.
• Soak bread in milk for 15 minutes, then lightly squeeze dry.
• In a large bowl, combine porcini mixture, soaked bread, roasted meat, ground veal, thyme, egg and salt. To taste for seasoning, heat a small skillet and fry a chunk of the mixture until browned. Add salt and pepper to mixture, to taste.
• Divide the mixture in half and shape each half into a ball, with a slightly flattened top and bottom. If using bones, poke a hole in one side of each ball and stick a bone into the hole.
• Put the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a heavy baking dish and gently lay the balls side by side. Lay 2 pieces of bacon on each and roast for 30 to 40 minutes, basting every 4 or 5 minutes, until sizzling and fragrant. Remove bacon for last 5 minutes of cooking. Serve hot.

RABBIT POJARSKI

Steps:

• Cut away and discard all traces of membrane, gristle or bone from the rabbit meat. Cut the meat into 1-inch cubes. Put the cubes into the container of a food processor or electric blender and blend until finely ground. Put the meat into a mixing bowl and add 3/4 cup of the bread crumbs and the nutmeg, salt, pepper and Tabasco sauce.
• Divide the mixture into four equal portions. Scatter the remaining bread crumbs on a flat surface. Shape the meat into four flat rounds, each about 3/4 inch thick. Coat the rounds all over, bottom, top and sides with bread crumbs. Pat with the fingers to make the crumbs adhere.
• Heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter in a skillet large enough to hold rounds in one layer. Cook about 5 minutes until nicely browned on one side. Turn and cook the rounds about 7 minutes longer. Transfer the pieces to a warm serving dish. Pour off the fat from the skillet and wipe the skillet with paper toweling. Put the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter in the skillet and when it is hot but not browned add the lemon juice. Pour this over the rounds. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

CHICKEN CUTLETS POJARSKI WITH PAPRIKA SAUCE

Steps:

• CHICKEN CUTLETS:.
• Chill a medium sized mixing bowl in the freezer.
• Place the boned chicken meat on a board and chop thoroughly with a sharp knife until fine or grind the meat in a meat grinder. (You can use a food processor for this but you must take extreme care not to over-process the meat as the texture of your cooked cutlets will be too heavy.).
• Add the meat to the chilled bowl. Add salt and white pepper to taste, the nutmeg and 5 tablespoons of the butter, melted. Mix well. Return the bowl and mixture to the freezer to chill once more while you prepare the dredging station. Do not freeze.
• Season the flour with salt and white pepper and place on a length of wax paper. Break the egg into a pie plate and beat with the vegetable oil and water. Place the bread crumbs on another length of wax paper.
• Divide the chilled mixture into 6 to 8 portions and shape each into a 1/2 inch thick cutlet. Dip one cutlet at a time into the flour, then in egg, then in bread crumbs. Press the crumbs gently into the cutlets then chill them until ready to cook. ( The cutlets may be made several hours ahead to this point. Keep cutlets refrigerated until ready to cook.).
• Heat the remaining butter in a large skillet and careful add the cutlets. Cook until golden brown on one side then turn and cook on the other.
• Serve with the Paprika Sauce.
• PAPRIKA SAUCE:.
• Melt one tablespoon of the butter in a small saucepan and cook the onion until wilted. Sprinkle with the paprika, flour and thyme, stirring. Stir in the chicken stock, using a whisk and simmer about 3 minutes. (The sauce may be made several hours ahead up until this point.).
• Add the cream and bring to a boil. Add the lemon juice, salt and white pepper to taste and the cognac.
• Strain the sauce through a sieve. Return to the heat and stir in the remaining butter and the sour cream. Heat the sauce through but do not bring to a boil.