DO YOU EAT RABBIT?

Would you eat rabbit? If you do or if you might, you will be happy to find several recipes for this delicacy in my newest cookbook, Flavors of al-Andalus, The Culinary Legacy of Spain. I include five distinctive recipes for dishes with rabbit: a delicious paella-type rice; rabbit with pasta and fava beans; rabbit cooked with figs and Mudéjar spices; braised in a wine marinade, and with sierra herbs.  

I included recipes for rabbit because in al-Andalus, Moorish Spain, it was a popular meat. Also, I wanted to provide some variation to the much more common chicken (there are also five chicken recipes). If you don’t eat rabbit (besides the pet bunny factor, rabbit is not a kosher meat), I state clearly that you can substitute chicken for rabbit in any of the recipes. And, vice versa. 

In America, the meat is appreciated by chefs and you are more likely to find rabbit on a restaurant menu than in your favorite supermarket. Limited availability may be the main reason rabbit is not more widely appreciated. 

 

Spain eats rabbit with no qualms. Rabbit is a main ingredient in authentic Valencia paella. It can be fried up with tons of garlic, al ajillo; braised in salmorejo, an herby, vinegary sauce; grilled over coals and served with pungent garlic alioli sauce. 

The name “Spain” may be related to its native rabbits. By 1000 BCE Phoenician traders were establishing trading posts on the coasts of Málaga and Cádiz. They called the land i-shphan-im, from which was derived "Hispania" (Roman) and "España". One of the meanings attributed to the Phoenician phrase is “land filled with rabbits.” 

Wild rabbits have been hunted and trapped since time immemorial, providing a welcome source of protein for rural people and a pleasant sport for the nobility (falconry was popular in Moorish times). The animals have been domesticated since Roman times. Farm-raised rabbit can be found year-round in supermarkets everywhere in Spain.  

Rabbit and hare belong to the Leporidae family; they are not rodents. Rabbit is a lean white meat with a mild flavor (hare has dark meat and is fairly gamey). Because it has little fat, rabbit has a tendency, similarly to chicken breasts, to be dry if overcooked. Sometimes in butchering, it is hacked into small pieces, creating nasty bone fragments. If possible, buy a whole rabbit and cut it up yourself. Rabbit is more likely to be raised on a small-scale, making it a more environmentally friendly meat than factory chicken. 

Rabbit with Mustard Sauce

Conejo en Salsa de Mostaza

Tender rabbit cooks in a creamy sauce with mustard.

 

This is a Spanish adaptation of a French recipe, lapin à la moutarde. It reminds me of the spicing used in medieval Spain, when mustard seed was more commonly used than it is in Spain today. The Greek yogurt makes a creamy substitute for crême fraiche.

In Spain a saucy dish such as this would probably be served with patatas fritas—fries. But this rabbit dish is equally good with pasta, polenta, pilaf, or couscous.

Serves 4.

1 rabbit (approx. 2 ½ pounds)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

4 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

1 stalk celery, chopped

2 cloves garlic

4 ounces sliced mushrooms

¼ teaspoon mustard seeds

½ cup dry Sherry

1 cup chicken stock

Bay leaf, thyme and rosemary 

2 carrots, thickly sliced

6 small onions

½ cup Greek yogurt

1 teaspoon cornstarch

¼ cup Dijon mustard

Chopped parsley to serve

Cut the rabbit at the joints into 6-8 pieces. Keep the liver and kidneys too. Sprinkle the pieces with salt and pepper and allow to come to room temperature.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil on medium in a heavy pan and brown the rabbit pieces on all sides. Remove them.

Add remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the onion, celery, garlic and mushrooms until onions are softened, 5 minutes. Add the mustard seeds. Deglaze the pan with the Sherry and cook off the alcohol, 1 minute. Add the stock and herbs. Return the rabbit pieces to the pan. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover the pan, and cook 20 minutes.

Remove cooked rabbit from pan while making sauce.

Turn the pieces of rabbit and add the carrots and onions. Cook until rabbit is very tender, 20 to 30 minutes more. 

Remove the rabbit pieces, carrots and onions from the pan. Discard the herbs. Stir the yogurt with the cornstarch until smooth. Mix into the mustard. Whisk into the juices remaining in the pan. Cook 2 minutes until the sauce begins to bubble. Return the rabbit pieces to the pan.

Serve the rabbit with carrot and onion and the sauce. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. 

Finish rabbit in creamy mustard sauce.

More recipes with rabbit:

Rabbit in Cazuela, Ronda Style 

Rabbit in Salmorejo Wine Marinade 

Rabbit Cooked in Medieval Style 

Rice in Cazuela with Rabbit

Rabbit, Sierra Style 

Sheet-Pan Rabbit al Ajillo 

Rabbit with Beans and Pasta (Gurullos) 

Rice in a Skillet with Rabbit 

Paella with Rabbit and Sausage

Rustic Valencia Paella with Rabbit and Chicken

You will find recipes for both rabbit and chicken in The Flavors of al-Andalus as well as for lamb and beef, but no pork. The recipes are from contemporary Spain, but they are based on the cooking of Moorish Spain. 
 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times.  (Hippocrene Books)    

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Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

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TOMATO LOVE

 

A small selection from my Tomato photo file!

I love tomatoes. For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, on a hot summer’s day, there’s nothing better than a juicy, ripe tomato, sliced, salted lightly, and doused with extra virgin olive oil. As I am reveling in great tomatoes, from the garden and market, I am finding lots of ways to serve them without cooking. Gazpacho, obviously, but here are more possibilities.

Tomato with basil (albahaca) is so good that it’s a cliché. With sliced goat cheese, freshly ground black pepper, flaky salt, and olive oil it is, in my opinion, an ideal breakfast. But raw tomatoes are also complemented by oregano, mint, cilantro, tarragon (estragón), fennel (hinojo), and dill (eneldo). A few drops of vinegar enhance their flavor, but full-on vinaigrette overpowers their sweetness. Which is why I rarely put tomatoes in a mixed lettuce salad. 

Tomatoes stuffed with Russian salad (ensaladilla rusa).

Shrimp cocktail with tomatoes!

A Mediterranean version of succotash with corn, butter beans and tomatoes.

Tomatoes Stuffed with Russian Salad

Tomates Rellenos con Ensaladilla Rusa

For stuffing, choose large, round, firm-ripe tomatoes such as “Beefsteak.” (Want more about Russian Salad, the famous ensaladilla rusa? Check here.)

Makes enough Russian salad to fill 3 large or 4 medium tomatoes. 

Diced potatoes and vegetables for the filling.

3-4 tomatoes

Salt

1 ½ cups cooked potatoes cut in 1/8-inch dice

¼ cup cooked carrot, cut in 1/8-inch dice

2 tablespoons cooked and chopped green beans

1 tablespoon chopped red pimiento from a can

Freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped chives or parsley + more to garnish

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil + more for drizzling

1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

Salad greens to serve

Scoop out pulp for tomato shell.

Cut the tops off the tomatoes. Scoop out the pulp and seeds, leaving a shell. Salt the insides of the tomato shells and invert them in a colander to drain. Discard seeds and hard core from the pulp. Strain the remaining pulp and save the juice for another use (I'll add the juice to gazpacho tomorrow). Chop the pulp and set aside to use in the stuffing.

Combine the potatoes, carrots, beans, and pimiento in a bowl. Add ½ teaspoon salt and pepper. Add the chives and the reserved chopped tomato pulp. In a small bowl mix together the oil, vinegar, and mayonnaise. Fold the dressing into the vegetables. Taste and add more salt if needed.

Before filling the tomato shells, drizzle them with a little oil. Spoon the salad into the tomato shells, mounding it slightly. Garnish them with additional chopped chives. Serve the stuffed tomatoes on a layer of salad greens.

Shrimp Cocktail with Tomato

Salpicón de Gambas con Tomate

A summer twist on shrimp cocktail.

Salpicón is a versatile dish that can be made with any combination of mariscos, shellfish, or with a single one. Besides shrimp, you can add mussels, crab, chopped octopus, scallops, lobster, or even chunks of fish. Salpicón without the tomatoes is a favorite starter for Christmas holiday meals. But I learned to make it in tapa bars where it was made, similarly to pipirrana, with tomatoes and other summer vegetables.

I used very small gambas rojas ("red" shrimp, though they're actually pink), plunged into boiling, salted water, drained, and chilled in ice water before peeling. If using larger shrimp, cut them into approximate ¾-inch pieces. 

Serves 4

1 cup peeled and chopped tomato

½ cup chopped green pepper

3 tablespoons chopped scallions

Jalapeño, minced (optional)

½ cup chopped avocado

1 hard-boiled egg

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar

Salt 

¼ cup chopped parsley or cilantro

1 cup cooked and peeled small shrimp

Lettuce leaves to serve

Combine the tomato, green pepper, scallions, jalapeño if using, and avocado in a bowl. Separate the egg yolk from the white. Chop the white and add to the tomatoes.

Mash the yolk in a small bowl with ½ teaspoon salt. Stir in the vinegar until mixture is smooth. Slowly whisk in the oil.

Immediately before serving add the parsley or cilantro and shrimp to the tomato mixture. Add the egg yolk dressing, saving a little to spoon over the top of the cocktails. Place lettuce leaves in cocktail cups and divide the shrimp-tomato mixture between them. Drizzle with remaining dressing and a little chopped parsley.

Succotash

Salteado de Maiz y Alubias

For this version of succotash, chopped raw tomatoes are added at the finish.

This is a Mediterranean interpretation of an old-fashioned New England dish of corn and lima beans. I've never found fresh lima beans in Spanish markets. Fava beans, which limas somewhat resemble, are not in season, but canned butter beans are a good substitute. I used fresh sweet corn, stripped off the cobs, but frozen or canned corn kernels are an easy substitute for fresh. Add the chopped tomatoes at the end of the cooking time. The residual heat will draw out the juices of the tomatoes without actually cooking them. I serve succotash as a side dish or, with the addition of smoked ham and a fried egg, a satisfying lunch or supper dish. 

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 ounces chopped bacon 

1 cup chopped green and/or red pepper

1 cup chopped onion

2 cloves garlic

1 ½ cup corn kernels

1 ½ cup drained butter beans

1 teaspoon salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of oregano or thyme

¼ teaspoon pimentón picante de la Vera (smoked, hot paprika)

1 tablespoon Sherry vinegar

1 cup peeled and chopped tomatoes

Lacón ahumado (smoked ham) (optional)

Salad greens if serving cold

Heat the oil with the bacon in a heavy skillet. When bacon begins to brown, add the peppers, onions, and garlic. Sauté on medium-high until onion is softened, 5 minutes. Add the corn and beans, season with salt, pepper, oregano, pimentón, and vinegar. Cook on medium 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes and immediately remove the pan from the heat. Add diced lacón, if using. 

Serve the succotash hot or cold.

Uncooked Tomato Sauce

Salsa de Tomate Cruda 

Noodles with uncooked tomato sauce and basil.

This sauce is quick to prepare and has many uses. Spread it on toasted multi-grain bread for authentic pan con tomate. Add the sauce to canned beans, season to taste, and serve hot or cold. It’s delicious with pasta too. 

I like ripe Roma tomatoes because they are easy to peel. (The Roma or “plum” tomato is called “pera” in Spanish.) The tomatoes get chopped in a food processor. Because they are not strained, it’s best to skin the tomatoes first. For a truly uncooked sauce, I don’t dip the tomatoes in boiling water to facilitate peeling. I peel them with a potato peeler. It took me only 5 minutes to peel the 6 or 7 tomatoes for this recipe. 

1 ½ pounds tomatoes (6-7 medium)

1 teaspoon salt

1 clove garlic, crushed

Basil leaves

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Freshly ground black pepper

Optional additions: red pepper flakes, chopped anchovies, capers

Peel the tomatoes and quarter them. Place in a food processor with the salt, garlic, and 2 basil leaves. Process until the tomatoes are thoroughly chopped, but not pureed. Transfer the tomatoes to a sieve set over a bowl. Let the tomatoes drain. Save the juice for another use.

Pan con tomate--just add ham.

Scrape the tomato pulp into a bowl and stir in the oil, pepper, and any optional additions. Cover tightly. Keep at room temperature for up to 4 hours, but refrigerate for longer storage.

If serving the sauce with pasta: Cook preferred pasta according to package directions. Drain it, saving a little of the cooking liquid. Add a olive oil and grated cheese to the hot pasta. Ladle the uncooked tomato sauce over the pasta. Scatter chopped basil and additional cheese on top. 

This photo was taken by my son, Ben Searl, on the summit of Mulhacen, Spain's highest mountain peak. Carried aloft in the backpack, it is astonishing against that colorless background.

More tomato recipes:

50 Ways to Use Your Tomatoes 

Tomato Binge! 

Searching for the Best Tomato 

The Gazpacho Diaries 

Imagine life before tomatoes! Here's a whole cookbook, The Flavors of al-Andalus, with nary a tomato. Although the recipes are from contemporary Spain, they are based on the cooking of Moorish Spain, before there were tomatoes, a New World contribution. There are several gazpacho recipes, all them very traditional, but without tomatoes. A fine addition to your cooking repertoire! 
 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times.  (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

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ON MY KITCHEN TABLE

 

Two things appeared concurrently on my kitchen table: a heap of leeks from the garden and a copy of Mastering the Art of French Cooking (Child, Bertholle, and Beck; 1966), a cookbook I’ve never owned before. (The neighbor who brought the book over had no way of knowing that I am gradually divesting myself of cookbooks!) It seemed pre-ordained—I would cook a leek recipe from Julia Child’s selection.

Leek and potato soup (Vichyssoise) I adore, but I did not need a new recipe for this cold soup. Leek gratin with cheese sauce didn’t excite me—sort of old-fashioned. A cold dish, leeks à la Grecque was enticing. But a leek tart it would be, a recipe special enough for my lovely leeks.  

My version is an adaptation of Julia’s recipe—I don’t use butter in my kitchen, only extra virgin olive oil. I used a cured sheep’s milk cheese such as Manchego instead of “Swiss” and I opted for seasoning with thyme and pimentón instead of classic nutmeg. 

In Julia's cookbook, the quiche is called “flamiche,” which, apparently, means “cake” in Flemish. That translates to “torta” in Spanish. In English, I suppose we would call it a tart or quiche. 

Leek tart makes a gorgeous starter or luncheon dish.

Bacon scattered on top is optional.

Serve the quiche with salad greens.

Leek Tart (Flamiche or Quiche)

Torta de Puerros

Store-bought refrigerated pie crust dough is a useful ingredient—no rolling needed, just fit it in your pie pan. Where I shop there was, in addition to refrigerated pizza dough, phyllo, and hojaldre (puff pastry), only one pie crust dough, called pasta quebrada, flaky pastry; or masa brisa, Spanish for brisée dough (they are the same thing). According to the label, it was not made with butter nor lard, but palm oil. If you prefer to make your own pastry crust, see the links below for olive oil pastry dough. 

If possible use a round tart pan with removable sides, 8, 9, or 10-inch. (If you have too much filling for the smallest pan, bake the extra in a muffin cup.) Bake the crust blind before filling it so that the liquid filling doesn’t make the dough soggy. Place the pan on a baking sheet to catch any possible leaks.

Serves 4 as a luncheon dish or 8 as a starter.

Pie crust dough

1 pound cleaned and sliced leeks (4 cups)

1 onion, quartered and sliced

3 tablespoons olive oil + more to drizzle on top

2 ounces chopped bacon (optional)

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup water + additional if needed

3 eggs

1 ½ cups cream and/or evaporated milk

2 ounces grated cheese (¾ cup)

Freshly ground black pepper

Pinch of thyme

Pinch of pimentón picante (hot paprika) or cayenne

Line a 9-inch tart pan with the pie dough. Prick the dough all over with a fork. Place a round of baking parchment on the dough and fill with pie weights. Refrigerate until ready to bake.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Bake the pie crust 10 minutes and remove. Remove weights and discard parchment. Lower oven to 375ºF.

Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a pan with the bacon. Fry the bacon until crisp. Skim it out and reserve. Add the leeks and onions to the pan with remaining fat. Sauté them on medium heat 4 minutes. Add the salt and water. Cover the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are very soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Add additional water if needed. Remove the lid and raise heat to cook off any remaining water. Cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl beat together the eggs and cream. Stir in half of the cheese and half of the bacon, reserving the remainder for the top of the quiche. Add the leeks. Season with pepper, thyme, pimentón, and salt, if needed. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Spread remaining cheese on top and scatter remaining bacon. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon of olive oil. 

Bake the quiche until set, when a thin skewer comes out clean, and golden on top, 30-35 minutes. Cool on a rack 10 minutes before removing the sides of the pan. Slide the quiche off the bottom disk onto a serving plate or, alternatively, place it on a cutting board and slice into servings. The quiche can be served warm, room temperature, or cold.

Recipes for pastry dough made with olive oil:

Flaky Shortcrust Pastry Dough (Pasta Quebrada) 

Dough for Empanadillas 

Galette Dough with Olive Oil 

Olive Oil Pie Crust

More recipes with leeks:

This leek and potato soup, porrusalda, is Basque, not French. The recipe is here. 

Salmon with Leeks and Potatoes 

Cold Vichyssoise with Zucchini and Leeks 

Leek Pancakes 

 

This cookbook explores the fascinating story of the deep and lasting influences that Islamic culture has left on modern Spanish cooking. 

Author and Spanish cooking expert Janet Mendel tells the story of the Moorish influence on Spanish cooking through 120 recipes and photographs for modern-day dishes, from salads and vegetables to fish, poultry and meat to sweets and pastries, that trace their heritage to foods served in medieval times.  (Hippocrene Books)    

 Order on IndiePubs (USA) 

Use PROMO CODE HIPPOCRENE40 for 40% off on all Hippocrene titles at IndiePubs online bookstore.

***

Order on amazon (USA)

Order on amazon.es  (Spain)

Order on amazon.co.uk (UK)

Order on amazon.com.au (Australia)

(If you order on Amazon, please give my book a review!)

***

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