How to cook rabbit meat: delicious recipes and smart tips. Rabbit recipes

The rabbit is proud of its unique taste and dietary properties. Stewed with mushrooms and sour cream or in white wine, it will become the highlight of both a formal and everyday dinner table. But in order for everything to work out perfectly, you need to know how to thoroughly soak a rabbit carcass.

Is it necessary to soak rabbit meat?

While any housewife can easily fry or stew meat, not everyone knows that some types of meat require advance processing.

One of its types is soaking. But why is it necessary to soak a rabbit?

This depends on several factors:

• Age – young rabbits do not need to be soaked, only in hostile compounds. You can add a little marinade for a piquant taste. But old meat requires a long soaking;
• Freshness – if the carcass is fresh, you should not interrupt its natural smell. For meat of poor quality, it is necessary to select a composition that will remove the smell, slightly refresh, disinfect and soften it;
• Origin – Domestic rabbits can have a distinct smell and taste depending on their type of contents and diet. On industrial-scale farms, such a task is virtually excluded. If you decide to cook not a rabbit, but a wild hare, you cannot do without soaking, because the carcass will have an unpleasant smell, toughness and sadness;
• Method of slaughter - with rapid death, the rabbit does not lose its taste. If he felt horror or suffered, adrenaline and other substances enter the meat, reducing his gastronomic superiority.

Thanks to soaking, the meat becomes tender and soft, acquiring the glorious smell of the marinade and the spices used. Soaking helps to remove the problem of sadness and bad smell, excessive hardness, etc.

Another question: how long should a rabbit be soaked in water and other mixtures? It all depends on the quality of the meat and the desired degree of saturation of the carcass. The time can vary from several hours to a day or more.

Marinade recipes

Before cooking a rabbit, depending on the quality of the meat and the recipe chosen, it is necessary to soak the carcass in one of the compositions. It can be extremely simple or consist of a complex bouquet of spices and additives.

Water

It’s easier for everyone to soak rabbit meat in ordinary water. This allows the remaining enzymes and blood to be washed out of it before further processing. The carcass is poured with cold water, kneaded a little and left for at least 30 minutes.

The quality of washing depends on how many times you change the water. Usually 3-4 drains are enough. This method of soaking does not have any special effect on the taste of the dish, with the exception of removing sadness and unpleasant aftertaste.

In general, in the future you can add any flavor to the rabbit meat with the help of other marinades, various spices and sauces. A good option is apple, sour cream or mushroom. In addition, you can add dill, parsley or a couple of drops of lemon to the water for a tint.

You can pour in a few tablespoons of wine, milk, add soy sauce, etc. This is done during the last pour.

Mineral water with gas

Just like ordinary barbecue meat, you can soak the rabbit in carbonated mineral water before cooking it on the grill or in a frying pan. It will not only wash away all excess, but also soften the meat. The rabbit is left to soak in it until the gas is completely released.

Vinegar with water

If you come across a carcass that is not entirely fresh or the meat of a dilapidated rabbit, you can still save it from the smell and unpleasant taste. A wonderful method is to leave it to soak in water with the addition of apple or wine vinegar. For 1 liter of water you will need approximately 1-2 tbsp. l. vinegar.

If there are no clear reasons why you should soak meat using this method, you should not do it, because this marinade makes the carcass

White wine

The best method for preparing a delicious rabbit is to use alcohol for the marinade. According to the classic recipe, it is necessary to soak rabbit meat in white wine with spices. Later, the marinade is used casually in the process of stewing and preparing sauce for the meat.

Moreover, even a novice cook can do everything correctly. In order for the meat to soak better, you must first cut the carcass, rinse it under running cold water and knead it with your fingers.

Red wine

Some French chefs prepare the rabbit for cooking by soaking the carcass in red wine. Dry wine is definitely used, because a young rabbit already has a sweetish taste.

This combination of flavors can alarm even the most discerning gourmets. Be sure to add spices freely to the marinade. A fascinating method is to soak the rabbit in hot wine, boiled with seasonings.

Milk or whey

You can also fill the rabbit with milk or whey for a while. And not necessarily the first freshness. If you soak it in fresh milk, the meat will acquire a sugary aftertaste. But the acidic environment will allow you to wash away all excess, soften the meat and not impart a cloying aroma and taste.

Garlic with vegetable oil

A very interesting recipe - before cooking, marinate the carcass in a mixture of crushed garlic and olive or sunflower oil. It is necessary to rub the rabbit with this mixture and leave to marinate for at least 6 hours, or preferably overnight. The more garlic, the more fragrant the dish will be.

For a piquant taste, add chopped herbs and spices to the mixture to give the upcoming dish a wonderful aroma. A good solution is a fresh Provencal bouquet.

Onion

Since all meat can be grilled, you can soak the rabbit carcass in onion juice. The amount of marinade is calculated based on the volume of meat prepared and how much time is allocated for soaking. You need to completely coat the rabbit so that it is soaked and softened before frying.

Beer or cider

It is allowed to soak rabbit meat not only in wine, but also in other drinks containing alcohol. Before cooking, you can pour beer over it - it will give it a special flavor and make it soft. Thyme goes perfectly with this marinade. But cider will give the carcass an apple sweetness, so this method of soaking is intended for an amateur.

What spices are suitable for rabbit dishes?

The cooking secrets don’t end there. In addition to liquid, spices must be present in the marinade. Also, various spices are added to the upcoming dish naturally during the heat treatment process. They rub the carcass before cooking or make the butter and sauce fragrant.

For a rabbit, salt and black pepper are indispensable in the list of spices and seasonings. You can also add allspice and bay leaf.

The following components can add piquancy and sophistication to the taste:

• basil;
• oregano;
• rosemary;
• nutmeg;
• carnation;
• thyme;
• garlic;
• dill and parsley;
• cranberries or juniper berries.

Which method to cook a rabbit is a matter of preference for every cook. Provided proper preparation, the dish will turn out to be primitively magnificent. Try each of the proposed options and choose the one that you like the most!

To prepare a rabbit dish, you cannot do without spices. They are added at the marinating stage or immediately before cooking. There is a list of “must-have” herbs and spices that will improve the taste of rabbit meat; other herbs can be added to taste.

Mandatory spices:

• Bay leaf.
• Salt and black pepper.

Optional spices:

• Basil.
• Rosemary.
• Oregano.
• Dill.
• Parsley.
• Thyme (savory).
• Coriander.
• Cinnamon.
• Carnation.
• Celery.
• Lemon.
• Garlic.
• Juniper fruits.

Spices are best added at the marinating stage. Especially if the rabbit will marinate for more than 3 hours, you can read the parody poems.

Cooking time for rabbit depends on the cooking method. Soaking in the marinade takes from 2 to 16 hours. Another 10-15 minutes for cutting and washing. Fry small pieces of the lower part in a heated frying pan for about 30 minutes, and ribs and front legs for about 20 minutes. If you fry the belly separately, 5-7 minutes on each side. Pickled rabbit, cut into small pieces, will be baked at 200 degrees for 25-35 minutes. Stew in the oven for about 25-30 minutes. You should not cook the rabbit for more than an hour. But if cooking does not take place at very high temperatures, then the time can be increased. Long-term processing will not make rabbit meat softer, but the aroma and beneficial properties of the meat will deteriorate. Several types of heat treatments can be used during the cooking process. First, you can fry the meat in a hot frying pan, and then simmer it. Frying can be replaced by boiling. Development of intuition, self-development, seminars and practices

Rabbit under sour cream

Ingredients: rabbit, 500 g sour cream, carrots, onion, 3-4 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp butter, bay leaf, cumin, black pepper and salt to taste. Oregano, basil and thyme - optional.
Preparation:
The pickled rabbit is cut into convenient portions. Fried in vegetable oil. Transfer to a heat-resistant container (duck pan, large baking sheet). Carrots are cut into strips, onions into half rings. Sautéed in butter and placed on meat. Next, salt and pepper everything. Add ground cumin and bay leaf. The sour cream is heated in a water bath to a more liquid state and carefully poured over the wall. Bring to a boil and then cook in an oven preheated to 160-180 degrees. For the first 15 minutes, you need to pour the escaping juices over the meat, then cover, slightly reduce the temperature and simmer for about another 25-35 minutes. Serve hot. Bon appetit!

Rabbit with olives

Ingredients: rabbit, 0.5 kg of tomatoes, a couple of onions, 3-4 cloves of garlic, 100 grams of olives, a couple of sweet peppers, 150 ml of dry white wine, bay leaf, salt and pepper to taste, 4 tbsp of olive oil. Dill, rosemary, thyme - optional.
Preparation:
Rinse the meat in running water and dry with a towel. Wash the onion, garlic and herbs and chop finely. Fry the rabbit pieces in a saucepan (in hot oil) for about 10 minutes. Salt and pepper the meat. Add onion, garlic, herbs to the saucepan and fry everything for 3-4 minutes. Peel the tomatoes, cut each fruit in half, remove the cores with seeds and chop finely. Add tomatoes to the cooking meat, simmer for 5 minutes and pour in wine. Bring the mixture to a boil, pepper and salt. Simmer for about 25 minutes more. 10 minutes before the end of cooking, add chopped bell peppers, and before serving, add olives. Bon appetit!

Rabbit meat is not very often found on store shelves. And many have not even tried this meat. But it is not only tasty, but also very healthy and easily absorbed by the body.

But in order for rabbit meat to fully reveal its taste, it must be cooked correctly.

Rabbit has very white and tender meat, which has a specific smell. Some people like it, but others try to disguise it with herbs and spices.

In the end, you may end up with a good dish, but the aroma of rabbit meat, which gourmets value so much, may get lost in the bouquet of herbs. Therefore, you need to be very careful when choosing spices for rabbit meat.

What seasonings are used when cooking and stewing rabbit meat?

Rabbit meat goes well with classic spices and herbs - black pepper, bay leaf, onion, dill.

Therefore, when cooking rabbit meat along with roots (carrots, parsley), they are most often added. They not only do not interrupt the delicate taste of rabbit meat, but also make it richer and piquant.

Rabbit meat is somewhat dry, so it is recommended to soak it in the marinade before frying and baking. Thanks to this, the meat becomes more juicy and soft.

If rabbit meat is stewed in sour cream, then use a minimal amount of spices that do not have a pronounced odor. These are onions, dill, parsley, pepper. Although gourmets claim that a small amount of nutmeg gives the dish an extraordinary taste and aroma.

What seasonings are added to the marinade for rabbit meat?

For the marinade, use a classic set of spices: parsley, celery, bay leaf, garlic, pepper.

They are placed in water, boiled for several minutes, and then pieces of rabbit are immersed in this spicy solution and kept for six or more hours, depending on the age of the carcass.

If the rabbit is old, then some housewives add other seasonings. Especially when the meat is intended for frying.

If rabbit meat is cooked for the first time, then spices are added in small quantities. And only after understanding how the meat will taste in the end, you can experiment with spices.

But among the culinary delights there are rabbit dishes, to which spices such as cloves and cinnamon are added according to the recipe.

For example, in a stew made from this meat, in addition to bay leaf, pepper, parsley and dill, you can put cloves (0.05 g of spice is taken per carcass).

And when stewing a rabbit with prunes, in addition to the above spices, add cloves and cinnamon (0.06 g per carcass).

But if cloves are added to the stew while stewing the meat, then in the second recipe, the marinade is flavored with cinnamon and other spices, in which the pieces of meat are kept for several hours.

What seasonings are used for barbecue?

For barbecue, rabbit meat is made more piquant.

To do this, prepare a marinade with the addition of dried basil, marjoram, ginger, bay leaf, pepper and vinegar.

While roasting on the grill, the rabbit is poured with this aromatic liquid.

Properly prepared, and most importantly prepared, rabbit meat is not only a healthy and dietary product, but also a very tasty product. In order for appetizing rabbit meat to become a real highlight of your table, it is important to pre-soak and marinate the meat. You can soak the rabbit in ordinary clean water for 2-3 hours, pouring a fresh portion of water over the meat every hour. This article will introduce you to the most popular marinade recipes.

How to marinate a rabbit in wine

The use of alcohol during the preparation of the marinade is considered one of the most successful variations among marinating recipes.

Using white wine

Prepare the following ingredients:

• Rabbit meat – 2 kg
• Dry white wine – 0.6 l (Riesling wine is a good choice)
• Ground red pepper - a quarter tsp
• Salt – 1 tsp
• Mustard – 1 tsp

1. Cooking begins with processing the meat - it must be soaked and cut into medium-sized pieces. You should not make slices that are too small, as you risk drying out the meat during cooking. Large bones are also best removed.
2. Coat each piece with mustard and place the cut carcass in a deep container.
3. Next, sprinkle the rabbit with salt and pepper and mix all the pieces thoroughly so that the spices are distributed evenly.
4. Then pour the wine into the container with the meat and mix all the ingredients again.

The marinade is ready. Leave the meat for 1.5-2 hours, and then start cooking. In addition to salt and pepper, you can use a crushed mixture of celery roots and parsley. Garlic, black and white pepper will also add a piquant taste to the meat. Spices should be crushed, mixed with salt and rubbed into the meat. Then pour white wine over the rabbit and leave for 2 hours.

Use of red wine

Recipe Ingredients:

• Rabbit – 1.5 kg of cut carcass
• Dry red wine – 0.5 l
• Garlic – 4 cloves
• Parsley – 30 g
• Thyme stems – 12 pcs.
• Onion – 0.5 heads
• Carrots – 1 pc.
• Salt and ground black pepper

1. Wash the rabbit carcass, dry it (wipe it with paper towels) and cut it into medium-sized pieces.
2. Peel the garlic and chop finely.
3. Chop the parsley. Thyme sprigs can be chopped, or they can be spread whole between the rabbit fragments.
4. Place garlic, spices, salt and pepper in a small container.
5. Add the prepared spicy mixture to the meat. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
6. Carrots and onions are cut into small rings and also placed in a container with meat.
7. Then pour wine over the rabbit.

Marinating time is 7-8 hours. If the meat will be served for dinner, prepare the marinade in the morning. If the rabbit is being prepared for breakfast, the carcasses are left in the marinade overnight. An alternative to parsley and thyme is rosemary.

How to marinate a rabbit in vinegar

To prepare the marinade you will need:

• Vinegar (apple, wine or regular 9%) – 2 tbsp.
• Water – 1 l
• Garlic – 2 cloves
• Onion – 1 pc.
• Pepper (ground red and black) – 2 pinches each
• Peppercorns – 5 balls
• Paprika – 0.5 tsp
• Parsley – 0.5 tsp
• Bay leaf – 1-2 pcs.
• You can add basil and rosemary if desired.
• Salt – 1 tsp

1. Cut the rabbit carcass (1.5-2 kg) into portions.
2. In a marinating container, mix spices, salt and finely chopped garlic cloves.
3. Combine meat and spicy mixture. Mix the ingredients.
4. In a separate bowl, mix water and vinegar.
5. Add the prepared water to the spice-rubbed meat.
6. There you also send the bay leaf and the onion cut into half rings.

Marinating time – 1 hour (if the meat was not pre-soaked, the duration of marinating increases to 3 hours).

How to marinate a rabbit in kefir

Prepare the following components:

• Rabbit carcass – 1.5-2 kg
• Kefir – 0.5 l
• Dijon mustard – 1 tbsp
• Olive oil – 2 tbsp
• Onions – 1-2 pcs.
• Spices – at your discretion (rosemary, basil, parsley, tarragon, oregano, suneli hops, thyme, paprika)
• Ground black pepper, salt

1. In a separate container, mix crushed spices, mustard, kefir and olive oil.
2. Salt and pepper the resulting mixture.
3. Place the rabbit cut into pieces into the prepared marinade. Mix all ingredients thoroughly.
4. Cut the onion into thin half rings and also add it to the meat.
5. Place the dish with meat in the cold for at least 3 hours (preferably overnight).

Rabbit meat is dietary and very tasty. Remember, this is not only valuable fur... The rabbit can be fried in a frying pan, barbecued and grilled, as well as stewed.

The marinade presented above is suitable for both stewing and frying a rabbit on the grill over charcoal.

How and how long to soak a rabbit?

But it also happens that the carcass has an unpleasant odor or the meat still turns out to be tough. To be on the safe side, rabbit meat must first be soaked in plain water for 2-3 hours, and the water should be changed every hour. In the last hour, you can take not ordinary water, but carbonated mineral water. Then the meat will also soften.

If the rabbit is old or lived as a hare and was brought to you as game, soak the rabbit even for up to a day! Change the water frequently if possible.

By the way, soaking can be safely avoided if your rabbit was young and you are sure of its origin.

Marinade for rabbit. How to marinate a rabbit?

The soaking time has passed and you can marinate the rabbit meat. To do this, it is cut into appropriate pieces, washed and placed in a pan. The rabbit can be marinated in dry wine, vinegar, lemon juice, or even just spices with onions and garlic.

The following spices are suitable for rabbit meat:

• basil,
• oregano,
• rosemary,
• tarragon,
• nutmeg,
• thyme,
• khmeli-suneli,
• black pepper,
• hot red pepper,
• paprika,
• garlic,
• lemon,
• dill,
• parsley.

Marinade for rabbit for kebabs or grilling.

• Water - 1 liter
• Vinegar (regular 9%, apple or wine) - 2 tables. spoons
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Black peppercorns - 5 pcs.
• Red hot pepper - 2 pinches
• Sweet paprika - 1/2 teaspoon
• Parsley - 1/2 teaspoon
• Bay leaf - 1 pc.
• Rosemary or basil - optional.

After soaking, let stand for 1 hour. Without soaking - 3 hours.

In this case, we do NOT add a pinch of sugar, which is appropriate in marinades, as a flavor enhancer, since rabbit meat itself has a sweetish taste. For the same reasons, only dry wine is used, and in no case semi-sweet.

How to marinate a rabbit for stewing.

• Water - 1 liter
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Tomato paste - 1 table. spoon
• Onions - 1 pc.
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Salt - 1 teaspoon (or to taste)
• Ground black pepper - 2 pinches
• Parsley - 1/2 teaspoon
• Basil
• Nutmeg

In this marinade, the rabbit is stewed for 1 hour over low heat, then tasted and, if necessary, simmered.

Remember that rabbit stew is more likely to be very tender if you add sliced ​​carrots to the pan.

I don’t know what the rabbit likes so much about carrots, but this is indeed confirmed by experienced chefs. Well, it’s easy to remember: the hare and rabbit love carrots!