Roast Rabbit

Can you get much more eco than eating British Rabbit? Not really, maybe squirrel? They are free range, there are millions of them, low fat, cheap and of course, yummy! So Mr H recently asked a local butcher to get us a couple, they have been in the freezer for a couple of weeks, and today was the day. I have eaten rabbit many times in restaurants, and we have cooked it at home, but this has always been stewing a jointed rabbit, I was a little concerned about having the whole beast on a plate and carving into it!

Now, I must confess that I regularly claim that you have to not just know where the meat you eat came from and know that the animal has a decent life, but you have to be comfortable with butchery. I am a TV student of Hugh, and agree with all he says. However. today I became a 5 year old vegetarian when we realised the whole rabbit had not been gutted! Mr H on the other hand without a moan got the sharpest knife and got busy with removing lungs, heart, liver, kidneys and other unrecognisable innards. I watched for a couple of moments, determined to stick to my principles until I noticed poo on his hands, which is the point I turned into a child! Please don't let this put you off, just be sensible and ask the butcher to do it for you! I do wonder if they had a little joke "ha ha, we will show that lanky city-hippy!"

Once the beast was washed we stuck it in a pot of apple juice and left it in the fridge for about 6 hours. And this is what we did next (it was Delicious)

Ch0p 2 apples, a few sage leaves and a red onion
Mix with a good glug of olive oil
Stuff mixture into the rabbit and use cocktail sticks to keep the stuffing inside
wrap bacon around the whole rabbit
Put rabbit on top of some carrot sticks and roast - check with your butcher for cooking times. We had a medium to large and cooked it for 1 hour 10 mins. The first 45 mins with foil over the top.

Have a look online there are plenty of recipes. I must admit, to date my fave is rabbit pie.

note - My sisters pet rabbit, Mylo recently went missing. Julie has always kept rabbits as pets and therefore refuses to eat them. When I told her (with a mischievous grin on my face) that I had a couple of bunnies in the freezer she was disgusted with me, so my mother, as tactful as ever said "ooh it might be Mylo!" My sister has not been round for dinner since.