RABBITS CAN BE USEFUL

New Zealand Listener, Volume 15, Issue 371, 2 August 1946, Page 26

RABBITS CAN BE USEFUL

HE farmers may not agree with that remark, when they think of the damage done by the rabbits; but when they see their wives decked out in rabbit skin coats which look like most expensive skins, and when they sit down to a most delightful rabbit dish, and know that the meat ration is being saved, then I think they will agree that rabbits can be useful to the housewife. Here are some ways of cooking them -and a good idea is to soak the rabbit overnight in a basin of water with a little salt or vinegar. This takes off the strong flavour that some rabbits have, and also makes the flesh whiter.

Baked Rabbit

What could be nicer, if the rabbit is young? Stuff with an ordinary fowl stuf-fing-or any special stuffing if you would rather; truss, and bake in the usual way; or pot-roast-either on top of the stove, or in a covered casserole in the oven.

Rabbit Pudding

Make a suet crust and line a pudding basin. Cut a small rabbit into pieces, and put it into the lined basin with one or two slices of bacon, a cutup onion, and pepper and salt to taste. Put in a little stock or gravy, cover with the crust and boil for three or four hours,

Rabbit Tasty

One rabbit; 3 or 4 onions; some breadcrumbs; a little sage, salt and pepper; and about loz. of butter. Wash and joint the rabbit. Boil and chop the onions, and add the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, sage and butter, and mix well together. Melt some dripping in a baking dish. In this spread half the sage and onion stuffing. Arrange the rabbit joints, spread the remainder of the stuffing, and bake in a good oven.

Old Devonshire Rabbit Brawn

_ For this you need one rabbit; 2 pig’s trotters, and seasoning. Boil the trotters ‘in a saucepan with cold water to cover, for about 144 hours. Meantime prepare the rabbit, and soak it in salted water for half an hour. Then add to the trotters, and boil for about 2 hours, or until the flesh is tender and will leave the ‘bones easily. Add more water if needed. When cool, cut the meat in small pieces, season with salt, pepper and spice to taste. Boil all up together for a few minutes, then put into two moulds, previously rinsed with cold water. Let it stand overnight. Very nice with lettuce.

Rabbit Pie

One rabbit; 2 hard-boiled eggs; 3 onions; a little sage and thyme; breadcrumbs; salt and pepper; and a small piece of butter. Joint the rabbit and cook till, tender. Then put it in a piedish. Boil the onions till tender, drain

and chop them. Add about a cupful of breadcrumbs, about a teaspoon of powdered sage and thyme, pepper and salt, and a small piece of butter. Put this in little balls among the rabbit. Add slices of hard-boiled eggs. Then cover with short pastry, and bake until lightly browned. The gravy in which the rabbit was cooked can be heated and added to the pie when cooked.

Mock Chicken

Cut a very young rabbit in small pieces; barely cover with water, and bring to the boil. Add a small chopped onion, and pepper and salt. Simmer slowly until the rabbit is tender. Take out the pieces, dip in egg, and roll in breadcrumbs. Fry these a golden brown. Thicken the liquor in the saucepan with browned flour, add some chopped parsley, and pour around the rabbit.

Romany Rabbit

One rabbit; 3 tablespoons of salad oil; 4 onions; 3 tablespoons of macaroni; 1 cupful of tomato pulp; 1 cupful of stock; 1 tablespoon of vinegar; salt and pepper, and finely chopped parsley. Cut the rabbit into joints and sprinkle with pepper, salt, and parsley. Heat the oil in a frying pan, put in the rabbit and sliced onion, and fry a golden brown. Then stir in the flour and add the tomato pulp and vinegar, and stock. Simmer until the rabbit is tender. Then take out the meat, and rub the sauce through a sieve. Arrangé the joints on a hot dish, pour over the re-heated sauce. Boil the macaroni in salted water, cut it into two-inch strips, and arrange it round the dish as a garnish.

Rabbit Roly Poly

Place a nice young rabbit in salted water for two hours. Wipe dry, rub all over with lemon juice, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Make a stuffing by mincing lb. liver, 2 bacon-rashers; 2 scalded onions; % cup of dried breadcrumbs; 2 tablespoons of shredded suet, salt and pepper, and a little finely chopped parsley. Fill the rabbit and sew up. Tie it in a well-floured cloth, drop into boiling water, and boil for three hours, Serve with parsley sauce,

Curried Rabbit

One fabbit; 2 tablespoons dripping; 2 tablespoons of vinegar; pepper and salt; 1 cup of stock or water; 2 grated onions; 1 apple; grated rind of a lemon; half the juice of a lemon; 1 tablespoon of brown sugar; 2 tablespoons of flour; and 1 or 2 tablespoons curry powder. After soaking the rabbit in salt and water, wipe it dry and joint it. Fry the onions in dripping till brown. Roll each piece of rabbit in flour, and brown in the pan. Sprinkle with curry powder, and keep turning the rabbit. Add the stock, chopped apple; lemon rind; brown sugar; salt and pepper, and vinegar. Cook slowly for two hours. Thicken a little if necessary, and add the lemon juice just before serving.