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Rabbit Confit

Rabbit confit makes use of the classic technique of slowly simmering the meat in oil, until cooked through and incredibly tender. A mix of shallots, garlic, rosemary, cardamom, star anise, juniper, and more imbues the dish with stunning flavors.

Prep Time
30 mins
Cook Time
3 hrs
Total Time
3 hrs 30 mins
Servings: 4 to 6 servings
Calories: 481 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

  • 1 whole rabbit skinned and cut into 8 pieces
  • 1 shallot peeled
  • 10 cloves garlic peeled
  • 3 fresh bay leaves or 6 dried
  • 8 cloves
  • 15 to 20 whole black peppercorns
  • 8 star anise pods
  • 16 juniper berries
  • 6 cardamom pods
  • 10 sprigs thyme
  • 4 sprigs rosemary
  • 1 teaspoon mustard seeds (yellow or brown)
  • Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
  • About 3 to 6 cups or so oil (I usually use a blend of 90 percent canola and 10 percent extra-virgin olive, although you can change that to 50 percent canola and 50 percent olive oil.)
  • Lemon wedges for squeezing

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat the oven to 300°F (148° C). Rinse the rabbit under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. In a heavy-lidded 4-quart or larger pot or a large Dutch oven, combine the rabbit with the shallot, garlic cloves, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, star anise pods, juniper berries, cardamom pods, thyme, rosemary, mustard seeds, and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add enough oil to cover the meat by about half an inch. Place a piece of parchment paper cut to fit your pot on the surface of the oil. Cover the pot with its lid and slide it into the oven.
  3. Check the contents of the pot occasionally—the oil should never come to a full simmer. You may need to reduce the heat. Cook until the meat is tender but not falling apart, about 3 hours. Remove the pot from the oven. (To make the confit in advance, you can cool the rabbit to room temperature and refrigerate overnight or up to 3 days. You must slowly heat the pieces in confit oil in a warm oven before grilling or searing, otherwise, the center will be cold.)
  4. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill or ridged cast-iron grill pan until hot but not smoking. Lift the pieces out of the confit oil and season with pepper. Reserve the oil until serving time. Lightly sear the meat just long enough to warm it and imbue it with a smoky char flavor (remember, the rabbit is already cooked, you just want to warm it through).
  5. Drizzle the meat with a little of the confit oil and squeeze a wedge of lemon over it.

Notes

  • This rabbit confit recipe has loads of herbs and spices in it, so if you’re missing one you might be okay without it. Having said that, juniper berries are an interesting addition. They’re what gives gin its flavor and its name (gin being both the Dutch and French word for juniper), and the distinct taste is something rather exceptional.
  • However, if you can’t get any or you already know that you don't care for the flavor (especially if you don't care for the taste of gin), you might want to consider an alternative. Tasting of pine, with undercurrents of peppery fruit, rosemary will stand in quite well. Since this recipe already uses rosemary, you might just want to add a bit more.
  • In a pinch, caraway seed is also a good substitute. Generally used in sausages when juniper berries aren’t available, you should find it works well here, too.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1portion Calories 481kcal (24%) Carbohydrates 9g (3%) Protein 76g (152%) Fat 15g (23%) Saturated Fat 3g (15%) Monounsaturated Fat 6g Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 276mg (92%) Sodium 175mg (7%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 1g (2%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4to 6 servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 481

% Daily Value*

Serving 1portion
Calories 481kcal 24%
Carbohydrates 9g 3%
Protein 76g 152%
Fat 15g 23%
Saturated Fat 3g 15%
Monounsaturated Fat 6g 30%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 276mg 92%
Sodium 175mg 7%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 1g 2%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.