Instructions
It was a low moment, I have to admit, and not one I’m proud of.
I had taken the kids shopping and, after they’d both been pretty good at the supermarket, I took them to the pet shop. They love marvelling at the puppies, kittens and hamsters, an enjoyment made all the more special because they don’t have a pet of their own as yet. One day for sure, but I travel too much at the moment.
This particular day it wasn’t the spoodles, groodles or moodles that caught my daughter’s eye, nor the apple-sized kittens. Rather it was a grey-furred and suitably nervous dwarf rabbit that she set her fancy upon. It was love at first pat.
‘Oh she’s beautiful!’, Luca exclaimed, ‘can we have a rabbit Dad?’
‘Roasted or grilled’, I answered loudly without thinking.
Oooooops! Chef joke gone bad, people. Definitely not ‘G’-rated.
Luca’s face instantly displayed tangible evidence of Newtonian physics as her smile fell with the gravity of the situation. This was followed by a wailing precipitation and a torrent of tears.
‘Tut, tut, tut, tut’, went the Gatling gun of disapproval from surrounding parents as their kids sought assurance that I wasn’t serious. These are the moments I wish I didn’t work in media!
Rabbit is a great meat for chefs and cooks alike, particularly white rabbit. Often sold as New Zealand rabbit, it is actually a hybrid of several French species that was developed in the United States in the early 20th century. Most butchers sell rabbit, although they may stock it frozen. In particular look out for the Macleay Valley rabbit from Kempsey, a rich, full-flavoured bunny perfect for pan-roasting.
Lean, protein-rich and delicious, rabbit can be used in many of the same ways as chicken and other poultry. And just as with poultry, take care not to overcook as it may dry out in the process.
As for the kids? Oh well, they’ll have to get over it. I mean a rabbit is not really any cuter than a lamb. Is it? Anyway, cuteness is never enough to get you the immunity idol.
So my advice? Run rabbit, run rabbit, run, run, run!!
Sienese-style rabbit with herbs and white wine