12306 Old-Fashioned Rabbit Soup Serves 4 to 6 Wed Aug 06 01:03:12 -0700 2008 Tue Feb 03 01:44:06 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12306 Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:44:06 GMT This is a simple soup from the tiny village of Poudenas in the Lot-et-Garonne. It is delicious and worth making whenever you intend to cook rabbit. Since the front legs and rib cage of rabbits have little meat but are very flavorful, they are better used for soup. The saddle and hind legs should be reserved for sautés.

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  • With a cleaver, chop the rabbit into 1-inch pieces. Season with salt and pepper.
  • In a large flameproof casserole, heat the duck fat and olive oil over moderately low heat. Add the carrots, leeks, and shallot. Stir once, then cover, and cook gently for 5 minutes so that the vegetables become soft but do not brown.
  • Add the rabbit pieces; cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover the casserole and cook, turning the rabbit occasionally, until the pieces are lightly browned on all sides, about 10 minutes.
  • Add the stock, garlic, and herb bouquet; bring to a boil. Cover with a round of buttered waxed paper set right on top and a lid and simmer very gently over low heat for 5 hours. (You can also cook the soup in a preheated 250°F oven.)
  • Let the soup cool slightly; skim off all the fat and strain the liquid into a bowl. Pick over the solids to remove the bones. Discard the herb bouquet. Press through the fine blade of a food mill to puree. Press on the rabbit meat to extract as much flavor as possible; discard the fibrous solids. Alternatively, puree in a blender or food processor, then press through a tamis or wire sieve. Rinse out the casserole and return the soup to it. (The recipe can be prepared to this point up to a day in advance.)
  • About 15 minutes before serving, bring the soup to a boil and cook until reduced to 5 cups. Stir in the cream and season with salt and pepper to taste. Garnish each serving with minced chives.
  • If using frozen cut-up rabbit, buy 2 boxes. Use bony pieces for soup; rewrap meaty portions and save for Rabbit Stew With Preserved Pears With Ginger (pages 216–219). If you have a whole, skinned rabbit, you can include the head for added richness.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main Rib sections as well as tail bone, loose skin and fat, spine, and forelegs of 2 young, tender rabbits, or 1 stewing rabbit (see Note, page 62)

    ]]>     Salt and freshly ground pepper

    ]]>     2 tablespoons rendered duck or goose fat

    ]]>     1 tablespoon olive oil

    ]]>     ½ pound carrots, peeled, halved, and thinly sliced (about 1½ cups)

    ]]>     1 leek (white and pale green parts), well washed and thinly sliced

    ]]>     1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot

    ]]>     2 quarts unsalted chicken stock (storebought or homemade—page 405)

    ]]>     1 garlic clove, peeled

    ]]>     Herb bouquet: 4 sprigs parsley, 2 sprigs thyme, 1 small imported bay leaf, tied together in cheesecloth

    ]]>     1 cup heavy cream

    ]]>     1 tablespoon minced fresh chives

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