Braised Rabbit Peperonata

     Many times we pass by really amazing ingredients because we might not know how to prepare it in a way everyone at the table is going to enjoy.  I think that rabbit is one of those ingredients.  All too often, rabbit is framed in some impossible to prepare context.  Rabbit is a beautiful protein with nearly comparable usage as to chicken.    Wild rabbit is found throughout the forests of the Rogue Valley.  This braised rabbit recipe is inspired by my upbringing in an Italian American neighborhood.  Amazing on it's own, or served on a bed of wild mushroom polenta or risotto.

Braised Rabbit Peperonata

Mountain Cottontail

 2 Dressed Rabbit Broken Down To Quarters

3 Green Bell Peppers

3 Red Bell Peppers

3 Yellow Bell Peppers

2 Yellow Onions

4 Cloves Garlic

4 Large Tomatoes Rough Chopped

1/2 C. Basil Leaves (2 ounces ish)

1 T. Oregano

1 C. Tomato Sauce

1 C. Chicken Stock

1/4 C. Butter or Duck Fat

Dash Sea Salt & Fresh Ground Black Pepper

     In a roasting pan, quarter, and slice the onions.  Hull and slice the peppers. Slice the garlic thin or crush it.  Chiffonade the basil. (Bunch it up and slice into thin ribbons. WATCH YOUR FINGERS)  Add all vegetable and spices to the roasting pan and make sure everything is evenly mixed in the bottom of the pan.  Lightly rub the rabbit with butter or oil and salt and pepper it.  Lay the rabbit on the bed of vegetables.  Add the butter in small pats evenly around the pan.  Cover and roast 90 minutes at 300 degrees, occasionally basting the rabbit.  Uncover after 90 minutes and roast an additional 30 minutes uncovered to allow the sauce in the roast to reduce some.  Continue roasting uncovered until an internal temperature of 165 degrees is reached.

     Serve with a wild mushroom polenta or risotto.  Honestly, if the thought of new fangled I talian starches scares you, mashed potatoes are just fine.  Just because you hunted it yourself, doesn't mean you need to eat like a caveman on the brink of desperation.  Wild game is the primal root of cuisine.  Embrace your inner hunter gatherer and experience food that doesn't come wrapped in more plastic than a stripper.