Fried Rabbit in Hazelnut Crumbs with Peaches
- 2 rabbits (about 3 pounds each)
- 1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
- ÂĽ cup chopped fresh basil
- 2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh ginger
- 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
- About ÂĽ cup unbleached all-purpose flour for dredging
- 1 extra-large egg
- â…“ cup dry bread crumbs
- â…“ cup finely chopped lightly toasted hazelnuts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 4 small ripe peaches
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- ÂĽ cup balsamic vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- Riesling Sauce
Instructions:
Serve this special-occasion dish to guests who’ve never tried rabbit. The aroma of its spectacular flavors from the Italian Riviera—lemon zest, basil, peaches, and ginger—and golden hazelnut crust is almost impossible to resist.
- Have your butcher cut each rabbit into the following pieces: 2 forelegs, 2 back legs, 2 loins trimmed of all silver skin, and the carcass. If you have to do it yourself, think of the process as similar to removing the leg/thigh pieces and wings from a chicken. In addition, you need to remove and trim the loins. The loins are the two thick strips of meat that run along the backbone. A sharp boning knife with its thin blade makes the task easier than using the wide blade of a chef’s knife. Be sure to remove all the silver skin from the loins. Set the forelegs and carcasses aside if you’re going to make the sauce.
- Combine the lemon zest, basil, ginger, and 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a bowl large enough to comfortably accommodate the rabbit pieces. Toss the rabbit loins and back legs in the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 12 hours.
- Remove the rabbit from the refrigerator. Put the flour in a medium bowl. Beat the egg with 1 teaspoon water in another medium bowl. Combine the bread crumbs and chopped hazelnuts in a large bowl. Season the back legs with salt and pepper and toss them in flour. Dip the legs in the egg and coat completely. Roll in the nut and crumb mixture.
- Heat 4 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium-low heat. Add the back legs and cook on both sides until done, 10 to 15 minutes per side. The trick here is to cook the legs slowly so the crumb crust and rabbit meat finish more or less at the same time. At a higher temperature, you risk finishing the crust when the rabbit meat is still quite rare. The crust should be a deep golden brown. Transfer the legs to a plate.
- Season the loins with salt and pepper (the loins do not have a crumb coating), sear on both sides, 5 to 8 minutes, and then cook to desired doneness.
- Meanwhile, as soon as you get the rabbit legs into the pan, start the peaches. Split the peaches and remove the pits. Heat the olive oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the peaches, skin side down, and cook until they begin to brown, about 5 minutes. Add ½ teaspoon pepper, the balsamic vinegar, and sugar.
- Flip and cook on the second side until browned, about another 4 minutes, then remove from the heat. If you’re not going to use them immediately, keep them warm in a low oven (200°F) until ready to serve.
- To serve, slice the loins against the grain into diagonal pieces ½ inch thick. Arrange 2 peach halves, a leg, and a sliced loin on each plate. Drizzle with the sauce, if using, and serve immediately.