Christmas dinner should be epic. It should be prepared with love and enjoyed to the fullest extent. I could think of no better meal to utilize a lovely 3 month old doe i’d been keeping to review as potential breeding stock. She didn’t make the cut as a breeder, but she was truly honored as the main course for our first Christmas dinner here at Birdsong Farm. What better way to celebrate our first year on our farm than a joyful Christmas and a meal grown, harvested and prepared right here by my own hands.
Two things about this roast are difficult: de-boning the rabbit, and tying the bacon wrapped, slippery mess with twine.
This video is the tutorial i use when de-boning. It’s not as easy as it looks! Though i hope to get better at it, especially since i have some fancy new knives thanks to my dear husband’s Christmas generosity.Wrapping was quite slippery and it helped to have a second pair of hands holding the roast together while i tied, but it too is a skill that’s picked up via practice. Here are the basic ingredients and method to this delicious meal, fitting to serve a queen and king!
- 1 large rabbit, about 3 pounds dressed
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- garlic
- Optional and delicious: truffle pecorino cheese
- bacon
- optional and delicious: salami
De-bone the rabbit. Pound lightly with a meat tenderizer. Sautee mushrooms and spinach (i did not measure amounts, but about 1 half bunch spinach, washed and chopped and a half dozen or so mushrooms, chopped) with garlic, salt and pepper until soft and most of liquid has cooked off. Sprinkle the rabbit’s liver and kidneys (chopped) over the meat, sprinkle some pecorino beside this and top it all with the veggies. Think ‘meat sushi’ and place the fillings on the inside of the roll and leaving space at the side that will be on the outside of the roll. Does this make any sense at all? I hope so. Carefully roll the rabbit. Lay bacon on your roasting pan and place the rolled rabbit over the bacon. Top with more bacon. Get your buddy to help you hold while you tie the whole kit and kaboodle with butcher’s twine. It doesn’t have to be pretty, just stay together.
Place on a roasting dish over some chopped leeks. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour or until cooked through and measuring 160 degrees with your meat thermometer. Flip halfway through.
Once finished place the roast on a cutting board and de-glaze the pan with a sprinkle of flour and some good stock (about a cup) to make a rockin gravy to slather all over everything. Slice 1 inch thick slices and serve beside some greens. 2 slices per serving. So good!
I brought the leftovers to my parents’ house for “Christmas two” and it was just as delicious when reheated in the oven. If you’re new to cooking domestic rabbit – this is a challenging, but delicious dish that will make everyone think you are a world class chef. Bon apetite!
