RABBIT GRAVY PIQUANTE OVER CAROLINA GOLD RICE MIDDLINS

Written By Erik Hoover

I grew up on a small farm in Ohio. Mom and Dad raised hundreds of chickens and rabbits, a few goats, several acres of potatoes and whatever Mom and I grew in a small garden. We didn’t have much, but we had everything we needed. This dish reminds me of the simple things my Mom would fix for supper. Braised meats in gravy served over a starch. Usually mashed potatoes or egg noodles, or even slices of bread. My Dad was never fond of rice, that’s something I learned to love in Charleston.

Ingredients - yield 8-12 servings

  • 1 cup plus 1-2 tbsp. vegetable oil

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour

  • 2-4 rabbits, cut into serving pieces

  • 2-3 onions, chopped

  • 1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped

  • 1-2 ribs celery, finely chopped

  • 8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

  • 2 (8 oz). cans tomato sauce

  • 1 (6 oz.) can tomato paste

  • 1 (28 oz.) can whole tomatoes

  • 3 ripe tomatoes, chopped

  • 4 cups chicken stock

  • 1 (13 oz.) jar queen olives, drained and sliced

  • 1 (16 oz.) jar pearl onions in brine (cocktail onions), drained

  • 1 tsp. cayenne pepper

  • Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

  • Tabasco sauce, to taste

Preparation

Place a large dutch oven or stockpot over medium heat and pour in 1 cup oil. Once oil is heated, add flour and cook, stirring often, until it takes on a chocolatey color (about 30 minutes), lowering heat if it’s cooking too fast. Don’t burn it!

Season rabbit pieces with salt and pepper. In a skillet, heat remaining oil over medium-high heat and brown the rabbit pieces. Set aside.

Add onions, ball pepper, celery and garlic to roux and saute on medium until tender (about 20 minutes). Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, whole tomatoes, ripe tomatoes and chicken stock.. Stir to blend and break up whole tomatoes. Simmer for one hour, uncovered, adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add rabbit ,meat and any collected juices, olives, pearl onions and cayenne. Stir and simmer for 2 hours, covered until the meat is tender. Don’t mess with the rabbit too much, or you’ll bust it all up. You don’t want the bones to come loose. Remove the tender rabbit, and remove the meat from the bones and then return meat to sauce.

Add salt and pepper and hot sauce to taste before serving and serve over rice.

Erik Hoover
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