Rabbit meat is quite popular in countries such as Spain, Italy, and parts of China however in Australia rabbit consumption has declined in comparison to what it was once like 20-30 years ago.
They are now more so looked upon as an unwanted pest and are even banned in some parts of the country with heavy fines as a consequence. Rabbit faming has reduced significantly and the government have also taken action to reduce the population in various areas throughout Australia.
Although rabbit may one day become a meat that is either imported or eaten during overseas trips, I still wanted to share this recipe as it’s great with duck as well, and the individual components are also suitable to use for other dishes too.
Rabbit is a healthy alternative to white meat being extremely lean and a great source of high quality protein. It has been a part of the European and English diet for centuries and it once held a regular spot in the Australian diet.
Rabbit can be cooked in various ways including boiling, braising, frying, baking, grilling and barbecuing and can be used in most ways chicken meat is used. Quite often it’s used to make a stew.
This ravioli dish is designed to be eaten by having a bit of everything on your fork as the sweetness of the sauce with the tartness of the horseradish and the texture of the snowpeas provide an amazing combination in your mouth.
Try it out with duck as well!
RABBIT RAVIOLI WITH HORSERADISH CUSTARD, CARAMALISED ORANGE SAUCE, AND SHREDDED SNOWPEAS
Roast the Rabbit
1 Rabbit
¼ cup olive oil
¼ cup dry white wine
Salt and pepper
6 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic, crushed but still whole
1. Preheat oven to 160ºC.
2. Rub rabbit with the oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
3. Place into a roasting pan and add thyme and garlic.
4. Roast for half hour then pour the wine into the pan then baste the rabbit with the juices.
5. Baste the rabbit every 15 minutes for the next 1 hour until golden brown.
6. When ready, allow to chill then remove meat from the bones.
Ravioli
1 whole egg
1 extra egg yolk
200g plain flour
2 Tablespoons salt
1 teaspoon olive oil
1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor until it comes together.
2. Tip onto a floured bench and knead for 5 minutes.
3. Now wrap in plastic wrap and sit in the fridge for 2 hours to rest. This will prevent it from shrinking and becoming tough.
Filling
200g roasted rabbit meat
2 Tablespoons sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1. Roll out the pastry until it is very thin and cut out 8cm diameter circles.
2. Place 2 teaspoons of mixture in the centre of each circle.
3. Beat an egg and brush the edges of the pastry.
4. Now pick up a single ravioli in both hands, fold and lightly squeeze together the edges making sure all air is squeezed from the inside. This is essential as any air will cause the ravioli to break during the cooking process. Now give the edges a firm press making sure it’s completely sealed all around..
5. Bring a pot of salted water to the boil then reduce heat to a simmer.
6. Carefully place ravioli in the water one after the other without over-crowding the pot and stir lightly to separate any that are touching.
7. Cook for 5 minutes then remove from pot. Strain really well and toss into the orange sauce. If the ravioli isn’t strained enough, any water dripping from the pasta will thin the sauce significantly.
Horseradish Custard
300ml milk
2 whole eggs
1 extra egg yolk
1 Tablespoon crushed horseradish
1 teaspoon salt
1. Whisk the eggs, yolk, horseradish and salt until well combined.
2. Warm the milk and stir (not whisk) into the egg mix then let sit for 5 minutes.
3. Pour through a strainer then divide into greased oven-safe moulds.
4. Place on a tray and bake in the oven at 120ºC for 15-20 minutes. It will be wobbly but should pull away from the sides using your finger. It will continue to cook for several minutes after removing from the oven and will stiffen up as it cools down.
Makes 4-5.
Caramalised Orange Sauce
2 large juicy oranges
¼ cup sugar
2 Tablespoons butter
1 Tablespoons chopped parsley
1. Cut the oranges in half and grill cut-side-down in a pan over medium heat. You want the natural sugars to be drawn out and form a golden caramelisation on the pan and the orange. Do not allow it to go black otherwise it will become bitter and unpleasant.
2. Squeeze the juice through a strainer into a saucepan and add the sugar. De-glaze the pan from the oranges with a little water and also add to the saucepan.
3. Bring to the boil and reduce until it’s half the original volume.
4. Remove from heat and whisk the butter into the juice until emulsified. Add parsley then sit in a warm place away from direct heat until ready to use.
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