Some Simple Recipes for Rabbit

A couple of weeks ago I received a phone call from Cousin Joni. She said, “What are you doing Saturday morning?” Since it was early in the morning, and I had not finished my first cup of coffee, I absentmindedly said, “Nothing.” Joni said, “Good, we need some help butchering our rabbits!”

Now Cousin Joni is petite and in her early 50s. If you were ever lost in the wilderness, you'd want her with you. She can shoot the left eye out of a fly on a corner post a quarter of a mile away. In other words, she's an excellent shot with a rifle. She doesn't "show" the rabbits at the County Fair or sell many of them...she eats them.

I understand that this immediately upsets two groups of people: vegetarians and those living with the Easter Bunny syndrome. I have a lot of respect for the vegetarians, and therefore I expect the same from them. As for the people that won't eat rabbit because it reminds them of the cute Easter Bunny? Well, the thought of the Easter Bunny running around Easter morning pooping candy eggs all over the living room floor turns me off.

Shall we continue?

I had the middle job on this three-person assembly line. Joni killed, skinned and gutted the rabbits. My job was to cut out the little green bile sack in the livers and to cut the rabbits up into six nice serving pieces. Linda, Joni's partner, rinsed the pieces in a bucket of cold water, and then in a bucket of ice water to cool down their temperature. Finally she packaged them with one of those fancy shrink-wrapping gizmos.

You can cook rabbit over a campfire like Robert Redford did in Jeremiah Johnson, or you can use one of these two recipes. They are an improvisation of a couple I picked up in South Dakota a few years back.

And rabbit livers? A delicacy. They are so mild and delicious.

Sesame Seed Rabbit

• Rabbit, cut into serving pieces -- 1
• Egg, beaten -- 1
• Sesame seeds -- 1/4 cup
• Pepper -- 1 teaspoon
• Seasoning salt -- 1 teaspoon
• Cooking oil -- 1/4 cup
• Butter -- 1/4 cup
• Onions, sliced -- 1
• Green pepper, chopped -- 1
• Celery, chopped -- 1/2 cup
• Garlic, minced -- as much as you like
• Stewed tomatoes -- 1 large (22-ounce) can
• Mushrooms, sliced -- 1 cup
• Worcestershire sauce -- 1 tablespoon

1. Dip the rabbit pieces in the beaten egg and then in a bowl with the sesame seed, pepper and seasoning salt. Cook the seasoned rabbit in the oil for around 20 minutes.
2. Take the rabbit pieces out of the skillet and set aside. Add the butter and sauté the onions, green pepper, celery and garlic until tender.
3. Put the rabbit pieces back in the skillet and add the tomatoes with their juice, mushrooms and Worcestershire sauce. Cover and cook on low for about 40 minutes.
4. Adjust seasoning and serve over noodles.

Braised Rabbit

• Rabbit, cut in serving pieces -- 1
• Flour -- 1 cup
• Salt -- 1 teaspoon
• Pepper -- 1/2 teaspoon
• Oil -- 3 tablespoons
• Chicken broth -- 1/2 can (about 1 cup)

1. Mix the flour, salt and pepper together in a bowl. Dredge the rabbit pieces in the seasoned flour, and then brown on all sides in the oil.
2. Add the chicken broth, cover, and cook on low heat around 45 minutes. Adjust seasoning and serve.

See ya! — Farmer Dan