Bones_ Recipes, History, and Lore - Jennifer McLagan [103]
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Cutting Up a Rabbit
Cut off the head and neck, if the butcher hasn’t already, and set them aside for the stockpot. Remove the liver (you can leave the heart and lungs attached to the ribs). Turn the rabbit onto its stomach and cut the front legs from the rib cage. Cut the rib cage from the body in one piece by slicing through the backbone where the ribs end and the loins begin. The rib cage has little flesh and lots 0/small bones; split it in two or more pieces and keep for the stockpot, with the heart and lungs. Cut through the backbone at the point where the hind legs join it, and separate the back legs by cutting on either side of the backbone. Finally, attack the meaty midsection known as the saddle. There are thin skin flaps attached to either side of this piece; trim them off.
Turn over the saddle so you can see where the kidneys are, then cut the saddle into 2 or 3 equal pieces without damaging the kidneys. Keep all the trimmings for stock.
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Rabbit in Saffron Sauce with Spring Vegetables
Rabbit is the only game I associate with spring, because its light, delicate meat matches well with springtime vegetables. Fava beans, asparagus, and baby carrots in a saffron sauce make this a pretty dish, but you can vary the vegetables to your taste. The rabbit liver is cooked separately and made into a simple spread to accompany the dish.
1 rabbit cut, into 6 or 7 pieces, liver and kidneys set aside
Olive Oil Marinade (page 212)
Kosher salt
12 asparagus spears, trimmed
16 shelled fresh fava beans
12 baby carrots, trimmed
12 small onions, such as cipollini
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
16 garlic cloves
1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine
A good pinch of saffron threads
3 to 4 flat-leaf parsley stems, plus 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 large thyme sprig
1 bay leaf
8 slices baguette, lightly toasted
1. Place the rabbit in a dish, add the marinade, and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours.
2. One hour before cooking, remove the rabbit from the refrigerator. (Keep the kidneys and liver refrigerated.)
3. Bring a medium saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus and favas and cook 3 to 4 minutes or until tender. Using a slotted spoon, transfer them to a bowl of ice water to cool. Cut the asparagus into 2 or 3 pieces, and remove the skins from the favas by gently squeezing the beans; return the asparagus and favas to the bowl of ice water.
4. Bring the water in the saucepan back to a boil and drop in the carrots. Simmer until just cooked, then drain and refresh under cold running water. Add to the asparagus. Drop the onions into the saucepan and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat slightly and simmer for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh them under cold running water. Peel the onions, leaving enough of the root intact so they will remain whole while cooking. (The vegetables can be all prepared up to 4 hours ahead, keep them refrigerated.)
5. Remove the rabbit from the marinade (reserve the marinade) and pat dry, then season with salt and pepper. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat and brown the rabbit pieces quickly on each side. Transfer the browned pieces to a platter. Reduce the heat, add the onions, and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and the reserved marinade and cook until the onions and garlic begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Pour in the white wine and bring to a boil, deglazing the pan by scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Add the saffron and the rabbit pieces, with any juices, then add the parsley stems, thyme, and bay leaf. Cover and cook over low heat for 1 hour, or until the rabbit is tender, turning the pieces from time to time.
6. While the rabbit is cooking, chop the liver. In a small bowl, mix it with the chopped parsley, and season with salt and pepper. Slice the kidneys in half. Keep the liver mixture and kidneys in the refrigerator until ready to use.
7. When the rabbit is cooked, transfer it and the onions to a serving platter and keep