African Vanielje on Aug 31 2007 at 9:43 pm | Filed under: Uncategorized
Why, in this day and age, with all the truly odd things people eat, do they still turn up their noses at rabbit? Is it that many have had rabbits as pets? Or is it all down to Beatrix Potter and those pretty little pictures of bunnies in blue jackets? I’m not judging here, just wondering. Rabbit is hardly a regular on South African menus. It is around here though, and when you are responsible for your offspring’s entire future attitude to food, you tend to take it seriously.
I live next door to two of my best friends (how lucky is that) and between us we have 7 children. Often we feed them together, taking turns to produce the meal. We have a rule for these communal meals, as feeding 7 children ranging from 1 – 10 can be quite daunting. The rule is that you can’t say ‘I don’t like that’. This may seem a little harsh / or a little simple depending on your point of view, but believe me it works. Basically, you have to at least try something, and if you really can’t bring yourself to eat it you may say ‘I’m not so keen on that’.
This simple strategy means our children try a large variety of different foods, are collectively fairly fussy (there is seldom a meal which they ALL eat without complaint), but are individually fairly adventurous and accepting of different foods, and are undoubtedly the best fed minors in Somerset.
Of course, as with most parenting tools, this is a double edged sword. When my neighbour produced rabbit for the first time, marinated in olive oil, garlic and herbs, and BBQ ready, I was not the first one to dive in with ‘Oh, that looks delicious!’. But with several pairs of interested eyes burning holes in me, I was very definitely the second. Imagine my surprise when it actually was quite delicious. Fairly chickeny and garlicky and innocuous in a not-in-your-face-gamey sort of way. In fact, it’s become something of a regular visitor at our little gatherings, when our local butcher can get wild rabbit. Farmed free range rabbits are available, which is nice, but we’d rather go with wild and yummy (and very very economical).
We haven’t had it for a while, so when I saw two lovely wild coneys at the butcher the other day, I had an epiphany. Rabbit was just perfect for the TGRWT #5 Chocolate and Meat challenge. So I bought them and brought them home, and put them in my fridge, where they glared accusingly at me for two days, every time I opened the fridge. Not literally of course, they had already been dressed (or undressed as my chef friend Maureen says) and I had sensibly asked my butcher to portion them for me. They had just seemed so inspiring at the time of purchase, but I was now in the throes of a major case of buyer’s remorse. It just suddenly
seemed there were a million things I would rather cook.
The deadline crept closer and today I bit the bunny (so to speak) and finally made my dish, but only because I had already committed to amrita and my alternative was helping my daughter spring-clean her bedroom in time for the new school term. So, the day is done. The dish is eaten. The verdict, me – delicious, but I forgot how rabbity rabbit is when not grilled. Dakota – ‘I’m not so keen on this’. Fair enough, she’s not so keen on Jemima Puddleduck either…
Check here for the full recipe of my Wild Rabbit, Prune & Chocolate Tagine
After reading your post, I am now longing for a taste of rabbit. I had it just one other time previously and I loved it. How do you have time to create such a nice blog, work and care for kids? Wow…you are super Woman!
my question exactly??
after spending one day a week with my three nephew and nieces I AM SOOOO exhausted.
what are doing?? taking super vitamin pills?
I have been served rabbit in Germany and found it delicious. I don’t know why but I don’t yet have the courage to cook it myself. If I did, though, it would be using this recipe!!
Ritu & Rebecca…I think I’m going to frame that just to remind myself. Thank you. Truth is, something always has to give, this week it’s the ironing, next week maybe the hoovering. These are the unimportant things though, you’ve got to concentrate on the good things, like time with family and what you love. For me, this writing and interaction with people like you is my reward for getting everything else done. It’s why I usually post so late at night.
Charlotte, I love your site, thanks for visiting. I like rabbit too, but this recipe DOES taste gamey so I would suggest that a simple marinade of olive oil, herbs, garlic and seasoning and then grilled would be the way to go with your first outing. The children would probabely find it more acceptable as well..
P.s. my cat LOVES it
I’m really enjoying reading your blog – the combination of beautifully described vignettes of Somerset life with memories of SA and food, food, food is brilliant. I’m defintiely coming back for seconds!
Kit, thank you so much for visiting. As you may know the wonderful food blogging community has an open invitation to my table. I’m so glad you enjoy reading, and there are always second helpings here.
I think perhaps I am not keen on rabbit.
Actually I have not tried it but I am a recovering vegetarian and there is only so much I can do. I think it IS the big eyes and fluffy tails..and Beatrix Potter…definitly Beatrix Potter.
I have 8 children and 2 grandchildren and a son in law and hopefully soon a daughter in law..Cooking for an army is a daily.
Have a wonderful weekend. Rabbit and all.
marye, fair enough. besides rabbits are a little small, I don’t think they’d stretch to an army. Anyway, from what we can see you are doing a wonderful job and no-one is complaining of the lack of rabbits.
actually my 15 year old,(we call him Huck or Thoreau, the first after Mark Twain’s literary character Huck Finn, the second after the American Philosopher/environmentalist in the late 19th century, Henry Thoreau) has his heart set on shooting a rabbit and eating it..and a squirrel and eating it. He wants to buy a large acreage and put up a yurt or a teepee in the center of it. He wants to do missions in Uganda. He is amazingly unique but apparently he cant shoot worth a flip as both rabbits and squirrels have eluded him thus far.
We raise rabbits for food (well, my OH does mostly; I think they’re too cute to go around there too often!), and I have to say, I’ve definitely come around to regarding rabbit as just another meat–a delicious, healthy one at that!
A little while back, I posted our favorite rabbit recipe: Rosemary Rabbit with Roasted Potatoes…one of my favorite meals
Marye, huck sounds like a fabulous character, and someone who knows his own mind. But seems like the woodland creatures are safe for now…
Sognatrice (i love saying that now that i know how to pronounce it – makes me feel a little bit ‘eye-talian’) – think my buyer’s remorse is a thing of the past and I’ll have to try your recipe. I’ve just had a look and it sounds scrumptious. I guess the vinegar tenderises as it cooks. Can’t wait to try it.
So I’m not the only one who went for prunes! they did add their nice touch, I think. Although for me it’s difficult to understand you wanting to eat this with pasta – for me it was the other way round – I was glad I didn’t serve my meat-chocolate combo with pasta!
I used to have a total hard-and-fast line on not eating rabbit. I just didn’t like the way the carcasses looked far too much like real, live bunnies. But what the heck, then I became a food blogger and everything became fair game (pardon the pun!!) Now, I really like rabbit. I still find hare a bit shockingly gamey sometimes but am even warming to that. This recipe sounds incredible. And I’ve had that Pineau you mention about – isn’t it glorious?
I agree Jeanne. Sometimes I find things very gamey and sometimes they are fine. I think often if I cook and dress game birds or rabiit, teh smell puts me off, but if someone else preps it I am fine. Often it doesn’t taste as gamey as you expect, although pigeon and hare are still not favourites. Venison, on the other hand, we get it here fro the estate and it is truly delicious.