Baked rabbit 

The baked rabbit is a light and tasty second course, ideal for a family lunch. Tasty and fragrant, thanks to aromatic herbs, it is usually accompanied by potatoes. And that makes it even more appetizing. Preparing baked rabbit with potatoes is relatively easy. You need to pay attention to cooking in order to have a tender and succulent rabbit. In this case it is necessary a passage in the pan before baking, it is also important the cut of meat you choose. Follow my suggestions step by step and you will have a complete, balanced and very tasty dish.

The rabbit has a very delicate and low-fat meat. This means that it is particularly suitable in low-calorie diets and in feeding children, but also that you risk making it stringy if you make the wrong cooking. So how can we avoid mistakes? First, choose a cut suitable for baking. I assume that a good baked rabbit can be cooked whole, but for convenience we suggest you cut it into pieces. Give your preference to the back half – back and thighs – and to the central part, the most valuable. They are cuts that are well resistant to the heat of the oven.

INGREDIENTS

1 kg of rabbit cut into pieces

800 g potatoes

1 clove of garlic

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

salt to taste

pepper to taste

GUIDELINES

Peel the potatoes and cut them into regular cubes. Gather them in a bowl with a tablespoon of oil, salt and black pepper. Let it rest. Now dedicate yourself to the rabbit. Heat two tablespoons of oil in a large non-stick pan with the sprig of rosemary and garlic. Brown the pieces of meat well over high heat. When they are golden brown, deglaze with white wine, evaporate, cover with a lid and continue cooking for 5 minutes over medium-low heat. Take a baking sheet and line it with baking paper. Add the potatoes, trying to keep them in a single layer, so that they cook without stewing. Add the rabbit and sprinkle with the cooking sauce. Add more salt and pepper if you wish. Bake in a preheated static oven at 200°C for 40 minutes. Halfway through cooking, turn the potatoes and meat. Serve hot.

Tip

For a soft baked rabbit you need to pay attention to cooking. Sauté the meat in a pan before passing into the oven. In this way it will be easier to keep the precious juices of the meat inside. And at the same time you will also have a delicious crust outside. Do not exaggerate with the cooking times. In principle,1 hour of cooking at 180°C is sufficient for a rabbit of medium size. Never go beyond an hour and a half. You would risk ruining the meat by making it chewy.

How to include it in diets and menus

A serving of baked rabbit with potatoes has about 541 calories. They are not few but you must also take into account the presence of potatoes, whose carbohydrate intake transforms the dish into a balanced proposal. Even in a low-calorie diet.

Absolutely, just reduce the amount of fat used to cook the rabbit to have a complete but light dish. However, if you need to cut back on calories further, eliminate the potatoes. You will then have a second with about 375 calories. At this point, add the outline that you like best. Maybe fresh vegetables to increase the dose of fiber.