Rabbit With Spring Vegetables And Morel Mushrooms Recipes

RABBIT WITH SPRING VEGETABLE RAGU AND POLENTA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Cut the rabbits as follows: With a sharp cleaver, cut off the front portions (from right behind the front legs) of the rabbits and cut them in half through the backbones. Then cut the saddles from the hind legs; remove the bones but keep the saddles intact. Chop each hind leg into 2 pieces¿the thighs and the drumsticks or lollipops. Remove the bones from the thighs; discard the bones. Reserve the livers and hearts.
• Place the front portions on a baking sheet and roast until golden brown, about 25 minutes. While they roast, bring the brown or white chicken stock to a simmer in a small stockpot over medium heat. Add the roasted rabbit pieces and continue to simmer. Reduce the oven heat to 375 degrees F.
• Meanwhile, puree the onion, fennel, celery, garlic and 1 tablespoon rosemary leaves in the food processor. Scrape the puree into a bowl.
• Coat a large Dutch oven with some of the olive oil and heat over medium heat. Season the rabbit lollipops with salt and brown on all sides. Transfer the lollipops to a plate. Add the pureed vegetables and cook, stirring frequently, until almost dry.
• Add the white wine and let it bubble away until reduced by half. Stir in the mustard. Return the rabbit lollipops to the pan and add enough simmering stock to cover by 2/3. Simmer about 10 minutes, add 2 full ladles of rabbit stock, simmer another 10 minutes, and add 2 more ladles of stock. Continue to cook the rabbit until tender, about 30 minutes more, stirring occasionally. Stir in the remaining heaping teaspoon of whole grain mustard.
• While the lollipops cook, cube the thigh meat. Put it in the bowl of a food processor with the hearts and livers, the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons rosemary, the Parmesan cheese and some salt. Pulse to combine. With the processor running, stream in the cream until the mixture is smooth. This is the forcemeat.
• Cut the caul fat so that you have 2 pieces a little bit larger than the saddles with the loins attached. Spread the pieces of caul fat on a cutting board and lay the prosciutto on top to cover. Put a saddle on each one. Scoop the forcemeat onto the saddles between the loins and roll everything up so that the caul fat encloses the whole bundle. Season with salt. Tie with butcher's twine in a few spots.
• Coat a medium skillet with some of the remaining olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add the loins seam-side down and brown them well on all sides. Leave the skillet over the heat. Transfer the loins to a small baking sheet and roast until a meat thermometer inserted in the center registers 160 degrees F, about 15 minutes.
• While the rabbit loins roast, ladle some rabbit stock into the pan you browned them in and scrape any brown bits with a wooden spoon; add the mixture to the pot of rabbit stock.
• For the ragu: Coat a medium skillet with olive oil and heat over medium heat. Add the spring onion, season with salt, and sweat them, stirring occasionally, until softened; you don¿t want them to take on any color. Add the mushrooms and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the fava beans and rabbit stock and cook just to heat the beans through.
• To serve: Slice the loins into thick rounds. Spoon some Polenta and ragu into the centers of 4 dinner plates. Divide the rabbit legs and sliced loin over and around the vegetables, and serve immediately.
• Bring the milk, 2 cups water and bay leaf to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Season generously with salt, almost to the point of over-seasoning. How do you know that you are there? TASTE IT!
• When the liquid reaches a boil, slowly whisk in the polenta in small sprinkles. Once all of the polenta has been incorporated, reduce the heat to medium and immediately switch over to stirring with a wooden spoon. Cook the polenta until it begins to pull away from the pan, adding water to loosen it up if it becomes too thick.
• When the polenta is thoroughly cooked, it should look creamy and not feel gritty on your tongue, about 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and stir in the Parmesan, mascarpone and chives.

ROASTED YOUNG RABBIT WITH GNOCCHI AND FRICASSE OF SPRING VEGETABLES, SPINACH PUREE, AND MOREL FOAM

Steps:

• Salt and pepper the rabbit loin. In a large saute pan, heat oil and butter over high heat. Sear the loin on all sides and then cook to medium doneness for about 2 more minutes. Set aside and keep warm.
• Over medium heat using a large saute pan, add olive oil and butter. Caramelize the gnocchi on both sides for about 1 minute. Add sauteed morel mushrooms, onions, fava beans,
• fresh peas, fiddlehead ferns, and wild leeks. Add garlic and shallots and continue to cook for another minute. Add chicken stock a little at a time and reduce 1 more minute. Add parsley, heavy cream, Parmesan, truffle oil and salt and pepper, to taste. Heat up the Morel Foam and Spinach Puree.
• Over medium heat in a medium saucepan saute garlic, shallots, morels, leeks and onions in butter until very soft about 3 minutes. Add chicken stock. Bring to a boil under high heat. When it comes to a boil add heavy cream. Remove from heat and puree in a blender. Salt and pepper, to taste. Keep warm.
• Over medium heat in a medium saucepan add butter and saute onions and leeks for about 2 minutes. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil and then place into a blender with spinach. Puree until smooth and transfer to a bowl. Season with salt, pepper and cayenne. Place the bowl on an ice bath to stop cooking process. This keeps the color bright green. Keep in the refrigerator until needed.

RABBIT WITH MORELS, SPRING PEAS AND SAGE GRITS

Steps:

• In a large mixing bowl, combine flour with salt and pepper to taste. Dredge rabbit pieces in flour, and set aside.
• Place a large skillet over medium-high heat, and add oil. When oil is hot, add rabbit pieces, taking care not to crowd pan. Sauté until rabbit is well browned and meat is opaque, transferring pieces to a platter as they are cooked. Set aside, and keep warm.
• Return pan to medium-high heat, and add onions and turnips. Sauté until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Add carrots and morels, and sauté until vegetables are just tender. Add peas, and cook until tender. Transfer to rabbit platter, and keep warm.
• Place a saucepan over high heat, add milk, and bring to a simmer. Add grits, reduce heat to medium. Stir every 5 minutes until grits are creamy but slightly stiff, holding their shape when spooned, 25 to 30 minutes. Add milk if they become too stiff. Stir in mascarpone, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
• To serve, place equal portions of rabbit and vegetables on each of two large plates. Add a portion of grits to each plate, and garnish with chopped sage.