Recipe: Braised Lapin with Pears

Lapin is French for rabbit. You can find some amazing recipes for rabbit if you Google Lapin recipes.  Rabbit is an excellent addition to the self-sufficient repertoire of meat choices. Anyone who wants to save money on their grocery bill could do with a few rabbits. I buy them inexpensively from backyard breeders or local auctions, feed them lots of fresh greens and veggies for a few months, then butcher. Butchering takes ten minutes. Don't forget, I'm from Southern Massachusetts - it's not like I grew up doing this stuff. 

Still not convinced? How about this:

*  Rabbit is an all white meat. It has 795 calories per pound compared to chicken at 810, turkey at 1190,beef at 1440 and pork at 2050
*   Rabbit is high in protein at 20.08 per pound, chicken at 20, beef at 16.3 and pork at 11.9 (Source: Stonewall Rabbitry)

Okay, enough jibber jabber. Here is the recipe, compliments of CDKitchen (link to follow), with my tweeks.  

Braised Lapin with Pears

4 Servings

Ingredients:
2 young rabbits, each cut into 6 to 8 pieces
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons grass fed, raw butter
1 medium organic onion, finely diced
3 cups homemade blackberry juice (or dry red wine)
1 cup pear juice (from canned pears)
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup home canned pears (or store bought)
3 tablespoons chilled butter

Directions:
Season rabbit pieces and dust lightly with flour. Heat butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 3 - 4 minutes. Add rabbit pieces and brown each evenly. Add wine, broth, vinegar, syrup, bay leaves, rosemary and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. 

Add pears to the pan, cover and simmer for 30 minutes more. Remove rabbit and place on medium low grill for 5 minutes a side (this crisps up the coating). Place grilled rabbit and pears plates. Remove bay leaves and rosemary from pan. Whisk in butter until melted and spoon sauce over rabbit.