open mind, empty stomach

Local animal protein is starting to become more accessible to home cooks on Oahu. In addition to beef, pork, and chicken, you can now find local venison and rabbit. Ed Kenney started slinging pork and tasty porchetta sandwiches at the Kaka’ako Farmers’ Market a few months back to help Shinsato Farms move product and recently added rabbit to his offerings.

a taste of Superette’s porchetta

I jumped (or hopped) at the opportunity to play around with some bunny and talked with Ed about his experience working with wabbit at his westaurants. Through Ed’s input, the wonders of google, and my imagination, I managed to use the entire rabbit in three tasty meals.

Rabbit is extremely easy to butcher. It took just a few minutes to divide the skinned, headless carcass into neat, manageable pieces. I first separated the forelegs, then the rear, followed by chopping off the end of the spine and pelvis. Rabbit bones are easy to cut through and my 8” chef’s knife was sufficient. Next, I cut along the spine and separated the loin and saddle, leaving the ribs attached to the loin for aesthetics. I roasted the bones and made stock.

before

after

Following Ed’s advice, I made a white ragu with the forelegs. I went with my usual ragu base, but added sprigs of thyme and didn’t include tomato. In a bath of white wine and rabbit stock, I simmered the ragu for about 5 hours, then added fresh tagliatelle and topped with MA’O parsley and pecorino.

ragu, tagliatelle, pecorino

I wrapped the saddles in prosciutto, then browned them and the ribs in duck fat and finished to medium in the oven. I sautéed the liver and kidneys, keeping them pink in the center, and served everything over a fig/port puree and covered in jus.

saddle, loin, offal, fig

The rabbit’s swansong came in the form of braised legs, another Chef Ed suggestion. I went coq au vin style and rendered lardons in Naked Cow Dairy truffle butter, browned and removed the legs, added and softened the mir poix, then dumped half a bottle of red, rabbit stock, and herbs, returned the rabbit, and braised for a couple hours. I put everything except for the rabbit in the vitamix, then thinned the sauce out with a little more stock. I hit the leg with my Searzall and served it, well-sauced, over Camas Country Mill heirloom polenta. For the polenta, I went 4:1 liquid to cornmeal, using half milk and half rabbit stock, and finished with an ungodly amount of butter and pecorino.

braised leg, polenta

My rabbit adventure was a success. The meat itself was juicy, tender, and tasty. It did not taste like chicken. The 2.5-pound rabbit cost $30 and provided three meals for two people. If you’d like to try for yourself, visit Kaimuki Superette at the Kaka’ako Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon.

DISCLOSURE: I paid full price for everything.