Elena's Rabbit Dinner

Last weekend we were up in the Sierra's at Marty's cabin and his wife cooked a rabbit dinner.  Have you ever eaten rabbit?  I don't think I have.

I didn't realize it but, rabbit is fairly common and it is also a white meat.  I figured it might taste like a gamey chicken, but…

She could have made this all in one day but did it in two.  She got the meat from a favorite meat market and had to order it.  First, she browned the meat in olive oil and made sure it was all cooked.  Then she put it is a big pot and let it set overnight.

The next day, she separated portions into two pots, added chopped tomatoes, black olives and chicken broth.
I didn't get a picture, but she also cooked some polenta while the rabbit was warming up. Polenta is a form of corn meal, not unlike grits, although this dish had a darker yellow color and was a little coarser grain.

Next she added mushrooms and more broth and let it simmer for a while.

Then she served it on a bed of polenta and it was outstanding.  Chef Elena did it again.  It was a common dish for her while growing up in the Napa Valley and we got to experience the Italian way.

(If you look real close, you can see the rabbit is on top of the serving of polenta.)

It actually did taste a little like chicken and had no 'gamey' flavor whatsoever.  I guess that was because the rabbit was not a wild one, but rather farm raised and fed.

Another unique and delicious meal I'd recommend!