Francesco Mazzei’s Sweet & Sour Rabbit
Francesco shares his recipe for rabbit in time for the game season. You've probably not tried sweet and sour rabbit before but it is well worth the effort!
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1.8kg rabbit (jointed into 8 pieces, ask you butcher to give you the heart, kidneys and liver)
- 50g ’00’flour
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- ½ fennel bulb, trimmed and finely diced
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 75g shallots (about 1-2), finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 80g carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 30g sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 500ml red wine vinegar
- 50g molasses sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 100g pickled Lampascioni, Borretain or other wild onions
- 75g small black pitted olives
- 40g sultanas
- 1 marjoram sprig, chopped
- 1 thyme sprig, leaves only, chopped
- 25g pistachio nuts, chopped
- 30g pint nuts, toasted
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/ gas 4. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large casserole dish over a medium heat, dust the rabbit with the flour, then add to the casserole and cook, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes, until evenly browned.
Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the celery, fennel, onion, shallot, garlic, carrot, sundried tomatoes and fennel seeds to the casserole, stir well, cover and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are starting soften. Stir in the vinegar, sugar and tomato puree and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduces to a thick paste.
Return the rabbit pieces to the casserole, pour in the stock then transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Add the pickled wild onions, sultanas and thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake for a further 15-20 minutes, until the rabbit is cooked through.
Heat a small frying pan with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over high heat and fry the liver, heart and kidneys for a few seconds on each side, until golden brown.
Arrange the rabbit pieces and offal in a serving dish, pour the sauce over the top and garnish with pistachios and toasted pine nuts.
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1.8kg rabbit (jointed into 8 pieces, ask you butcher to give you the heart, kidneys and liver)
- 50g ’00’flour
- 1 celery stick, finely diced
- ½ fennel bulb, trimmed and finely diced
- ½ onion, finely diced
- 75g shallots (about 1-2), finely diced
- 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
- 80g carrots, peeled and finely diced
- 30g sun-dried tomatoes, finely diced
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 500ml red wine vinegar
- 50g molasses sugar
- 2 tbsp tomato puree
- 1 litre chicken stock
- 100g pickled Lampascioni, Borretain or other wild onions
- 75g small black pitted olives
- 40g sultanas
- 1 marjoram sprig, chopped
- 1 thyme sprig, leaves only, chopped
- 25g pistachio nuts, chopped
- 30g pint nuts, toasted
- Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/ gas 4. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large casserole dish over a medium heat, dust the rabbit with the flour, then add to the casserole and cook, stirring frequently, for about 8-10 minutes, until evenly browned.
Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.
Add the celery, fennel, onion, shallot, garlic, carrot, sundried tomatoes and fennel seeds to the casserole, stir well, cover and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes, until the onions are starting soften. Stir in the vinegar, sugar and tomato puree and simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduces to a thick paste.
Return the rabbit pieces to the casserole, pour in the stock then transfer to the oven. Bake for 20 minutes. Add the pickled wild onions, sultanas and thyme and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bake for a further 15-20 minutes, until the rabbit is cooked through.
Heat a small frying pan with the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over high heat and fry the liver, heart and kidneys for a few seconds on each side, until golden brown.
Arrange the rabbit pieces and offal in a serving dish, pour the sauce over the top and garnish with pistachios and toasted pine nuts.
