There's a slam dunk recipe for every game meat out there.
Hunters know, perhaps better than anyone else, what it means to make the most out of a little.
Even a game animal as small as a rabbit can make for a five-star meal; it all just depends on the approach.
Fortunately for us, we have a step-by-step tutorial showing how to transform a rabbit into a pan-fried masterpiece with a side of sweet corn risotto, courtesy of wild game expert Jeremy Critchfield, aka HuntChef.
Depending on where you're from, you could be accustomed to small-game stews, as it's the easiest way to optimize small quantities of meat. Or, perhaps you never thought about putting as much time into a small-game entree.
But, per usual, Critchfield shows us the value in giving every piece of harvested meat the attention it deserves.
It looks like he only uses two rabbits to prepare this particular entree, but he doesn't offer exact measurements for his recipe. However, it looks like an easy-enough recipe to simply eyeball each step.
Ingredients
- Rabbit
- Flour
- Seasoned salt
- Stone House rib rub
- Butter
- Onions
- Bacon
- Rice
- Sweet corn
- Chardonnay
- Chicken broth
- Black pepper
- Thyme
- Parsley
- Pecorino Romano cheese
- Black-eyed peas
Surely we aren't the only ones drooling over here. Who knew rabbit could look so delicious?
Maybe it's that savory, golden-brown pan-fried glaze, or it could be the magic bacon bestows upon on any dish, but it's probably safe to say you could get any city slicker to try this without knowing what it was.
Small game recipes are becoming more and more popular with the emergence of recipes like this one, but I have to say I don't know if I've ever seen a rabbit recipe that looked quite this good.
You could probably play with the recipe quite a bit, too, as you could cut your meat into smaller rabbit pieces instead of leaving them bone-in. You could also play with your flour mixture to give it that classic crispy buttermilk element you'd taste in a fried chicken recipe.
Adding spices like garlic powder, paprika, oregano and cayenne could offer up different flavor profiles, all dependent on what you prefer. The beauty of this recipe, similar to most HuntChef recipes, is this serves as a very flexible template. Plus, all you need is a cast iron frying pan, a pot and a stove!
If you've ever wondered how to cook those often-overlooked game meats, look no further than HuntChef, whose "eat what you kill" message is resonating across the outdoors community.
So, the next time you spot a cottontail or a hare during rabbit season, keep this recipe in mind. However, if you're on a diet that restricts carbohydrates or cholesterol, you might want to save this one for down the road!
Need gear for your own wild game kitchen? Check out Cabela's.
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