This recipe for rabbit satay skewers is a great way to introduce people to wild rabbit meat. They are
Fresh, wild rabbit meat is pretty much as good as it gets.
There are no food miles to worry about and it’s as fresh and free range as is possible.
If you’re not into hunting, your butcher may be able to source them for you.
On our land we are literally riddled with them, to the point that our hedges & stone walls are collapsing with the extent of their ancient warrens. So culling them is part of the farm maintenance.
Due to the mass of fiddly bones, I have taken to removing the saddle* and thighs, and using the carcass in the slow cooker for a wonderful bunny stock.
All the little bits of meat left on the bone then just flake off really easily.
As a safety note, I’ve not been able to find conclusive information on whether wild rabbit meat is safe to eat slightly pink.
There are some parasites that can live in/on rabbits that are killed by freezing prior to cooking. But until I find out one way or the other my advice would be to ensure it is well cooked right through.
This recipe uses English wild rabbit which are pretty skinny little things. I’ve never cooked with farmed rabbit before, but I imagine the saddle would be much thicker and meatier, so adjust the cooking time as necessary.
And if you’re a hunter and ever score a deer, may I recommend this gorgeous Venison Liver Pâtê recipe a go? It’s a smooth, rich and creamy recipe that everyone that tries it begs for!
- Saddle of 4 rabbits
- A splash of oil
- 1 chilli pepper finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 small onion finely chopped
- 3 spring onions chopped, white and green parts separated
- 1 giant heaped tablespoon of crunchy peanut butter
- Juice of 1/2 a lemon
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1/3 of a can coconut milk
- Heat a splash of oil in a small pan. Add in the chilli, onion, garlic and the white parts of the spring onion and fry until the onion is translucent.
- Add in the peanut butter, soy sauce, lemon juice and coconut milk and mix well.
- Use a tablespoon of the mixture to run into the rabbit meat, cover and pop in the fridge for 2 hours or even overnight.
- Soak wooden skewers in water for 20-30 minutes, then thread the long strips of rabbit on in a zig zag pattern.
- On a really hot grill or BBQ, cook for 2-3 minutes each side making sure they don't burn.
- Reheat the sauce and serve in little dipping bowls with noodles or salad.
What’s your favourite rabbit recipe?
*The saddle refers to the two long muscles that run down either side of the spine. They are tender, even on an older bunny, and honestly taste a whole lot like chicken.
Sylvia says
My Mum used to sneak some rabbit into my dinner pretending it was chicken :) She got me few times!
Jane Sarchet says
Could you taste a difference Sylvia? I honestly don’t think I could in a taste test!
Janie x
Ceri @Natural Kitchen Adventures says
This looks great! I recently cooked up a rabbit & chorizo spanish stew for my blog – and loved the taste and change from chicken. We should all eat more rabbit, I agree! Especially for its sustainability!
Great to meet you at FBC this weekend
Ceri x
Jane Sarchet says
You too Ceri, and I agree on the rabbit front. I always wonder why it is so out of fashion in this country. To the point that the government introduced Mixi to try and wipe them out. Why not just get eating them?!
Janie x
Ceri @Natural Kitchen Adventures says
This looks great! I recently cooked up a rabbit & chorizo spanish stew for my blog – and loved the taste and change from chicken. We should all eat more rabbit, I agree! Especially for its sustainability!
Great to meet you at FBC this weekend too. Going to check out your egg book asap!
Ceri x
Jane Sarchet says
You too Ceri, and I agree on the rabbit front. I always wonder why it is so out of fashion in this country. To the point that the government introduced Mixi to try and wipe them out. Why not just get eating them?!
Janie x
Fiona Maclean says
Now I have to admit, rabbit is seldom on my menu. It’s REALLY expensive in London and (probably) not worth buying on that basis. I do sometimes buy hare, I like jugged hare and you can’t substitute chicken. But most of the time, now the game supplier has vanished from our local farmer’s market, I substitute chicken for rabbit…do you think it would work?
Jane Sarchet says
Hi Fiona! Honestly, I find the taste of rabbit so similar to chicken that I’m sure I wouldn’t be able to tell them apart.
I’ve never tasted hare, has it got a strong or gamey flavour?
Janie x
Simone says
I kind of struggle a bit with rabbit; I’ve had really good rabbit but also really horrible rabbit….It can be sooo extremely dry that it’s almost impossible to swallow… But then again, I have never prepared it myself so that could be the reason… O well, you can’t have it all right?
Jane Sarchet says
Hey Simone :) It is such a lean meat that with careless cooking it could dry out easily. I have that good/bad thing with pheasant, although the only really bad experience with it was a dish that I cooked! Oops :)
Janie x
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
My kind of food Jane, My kind of food. I generally sub in rabbit for chicken in lots of things especially Thai curries or Chinese lemon chicken.
Jane Sarchet says
It really lends itself well to Asian food. Does your husband shoot Bintu, or do you buy your rabbit?
Janie x
Nick @ Bakingbeardy says
To be honest, I always struggled with hunting, until my friends pointed out to me that if you’re into ethical and free range food, food that you hunt yourself is probably the best you can do! Great that you’re really taking advantage of your local resources!
Jane Sarchet says
Absolutely! It is the way we used to eat, and I’d much prefer something wild than farmed by modern methods. Most farming these days in totally unacceptable to me :(
Janie x
Karen says
You say the NICEST things – rabbit (yum), Satay (double yum) and skewers (love them) and this is a brainwave of a recipe! Love it, plus, rabbit is easy and cheap to source in France too! Karen
Jane Sarchet says
Mmm, a woman after my own heart! Next time you’re in Cornwall give me a shout & I’ll fire up the BBQ :)
Janie x