Lean, nutritious, and climate-friendly, rabbit is perhaps the most sustainable meat there is. The big question: why don’t Americans eat more rabbit? We’ve followed the press coverage on rabbit for years, and have usually been included in it as a primary supplier of rabbit meat. Eater is the latest to make the compelling case for why we should all be eating more rabbit and includes comments from chefs as well as good background on this historically important protein.
The numbers tell us that we are eating more rabbit now than at any other time since World War II. But that’s still not a lot, compared to European countries, and it’s a delicate subject with many people (rabbits are furry and cute, after all).
The public views certain meats as okay to eat and others not. By doing so, we’ve limited our ability to be sustainable and have variance in our diets, and we’ve also fueled the fire for factory farming.
– Chef Chris Cosentino, Eater
Rabbit meat is light, tender, lean, and finely textured, and works well with many recipes – and in any season. A staple of Italian and French kitchens, rabbit meat is a rarer pleasure in the U.S. If you’re ready to try cooking rabbit at home, give one of our recipes a try. From buttermilk fried rabbit to tasty stews, we have 6 recipes
1. White Rabbit Lasagna
Try this rich and tasty lasagna with layers of rabbit ragout, mushrooms, creamy bechamel sauce & sharp cheddar cheese. It’s comfort food with a twist and is sure to become a family favorite.
2. Spring Rabbit Stew
Though we call it a spring stew, this delightful rabbit recipe can be enjoyed any time of year. Using four legs, so there’s no need to break down a whole rabbit, it’s bursting with flavor from pancetta, white wine, and a ton of fresh herbs and vegetables.
3. Rabbit Leg Confit
Simple to make, our flavorful rabbit confit is great on its own and can serve as a base for other recipes like buttermilk fried rabbit (below) and easy rabbit rillettes – the ultimate addition to a charcuterie board. Rabbit is so lean that it does well as confit. The tender meat can be shredded off the bone for serving, or left whole.
4. Rabbit Pot de Provence
This rabbit stew recipe combines the flavors of southern France: sweet peppers, fennel, tomatoes, and black olives in an aromatic anise-flavored broth.
5. Crispy Buttermilk Fried Rabbit
Are you a fan of fried chicken? Well, here’s a new way to enjoy it: with rabbit. This recipe for the best-ever fried rabbit begins with succulent rabbit leg confit coated in spiced buttermilk which is then double-fried until crisp. Finish with another hit of spice and you’ve got a dish you won’t soon forget.
6. Braised Rabbit in Hard Cider
A traditional Irish braised rabbit recipe leans on hard cider and fresh thyme for its flavorful sauce. This dish would have been cooked in cast iron over a fire, but today it’s easily done in the oven.
If you’re ready for rabbit, shop whole rabbit and cuts at dartagnan.com.