Rabbit salad recipe

Preparation and cooking

• - Remove the entrails of the rabbit. We also discard its head but this step is very subjective.
• - Wash the rabbit under cold running water.
• - Boil the rabbit in salt water together with the sun-dried tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, sage, marjoram and whole onion.
• - Continue cooking, adding other boiling water only if necessary, until the meat is tender.
  It will take 60 to 90 minutes depending on the age of the rabbit.
• - Let the rabbit cool in its cooking water.
• - Meanwhile drain the mixed vegetables from their preserving juice and rinse them under cold running water.
  Then let the vegetables drain for a long time in the strainer. This step is important because they have to lose all the water.
• - Wash the chives, remove the excess of water with kitchen paper and chop finely. Put in a large bowl.
• - Drain the olives and slice. Add to the bowl.
• - Blot the bell peppers strips with kitchen paper and dice. Add to the bowl.
• - Drain the corn and put in the bowl.
• - When the rabbit is cold, bone it and dice its meat directly in the bowl.
• - Now you have to add the mixed vegetables, mayonnaise and olive oil. Stir with delicacy.
  Season to taste with salt only if necessary.

Just before serving

• - Prepare the rabbit salad some hours ahead to let all the ingredients miw well.
• - Chill until serving if it's very hot but remember to bring back to room temperature.
  It will take at least 30 minutes.
• - Stir again just before serving and garnish with chives and some pieces of sun-dried tomatoes if liked.

Tips and menu planning

• - Don't throw away the broth in which you've cooked the rabbit. It's ideal to make a risotto or simplier to boil the pasta or rice to make a tasty pasta or rice salad the day after or the same day.
• - When we prepare this tasty rabbit salad in our kitchen we use the canned vegetables we prefer but we are sure outside Italy it is impossible to find the same ingredient. So we surfed Internet and found this mixed vegetables with potatoes (Del Monte company) that is very similar. Obviously you can use your favorite brand on condition that the assorted vegetables are similar.
  In any case we remember you the rabbit salad is tastier if you have the time to use fresh vegetables.
• - A suggestion for people who don’t like or can't eat mayonnaise: dress the rabbit salad with a sauce made with yogurt, mustard and tomato paste. Mix the three ingredients according to your own taste.
• - This rabbit salad is an ideal cold dish either for your daily menu or for a special occasion such as alfresco dinner or a buffet menu.
  Daily menu: accompany it with raw seasonal vegetables and complete with fresh fruit.
  Special occasion: in this case the doses are enough for more than 6 people. It's a so delicate dish you can combine it with a lot of different course.

Healthy eating

• - Rabbit meat has a high nutritional value. It's a good source of protein, is low in fat (an average of 4g per 100g edible portion if you remove all the visible fat) and cholesterol (Italian data show 52mg per 100g edible portion). Obviously, these data refer to 100g (3 1/2 ounces), the recommended meat portion (edible part without bone).
  Rabbit has a higher amount of phosphorus, potassium and magnesium but less calcium, sodium and iron compared to the other meat.
  Besides rabbit is a very good source of niacin, vitamin B12 and selenium.
• - Daily menu. This rabbit salad can be an alternative choice for your daily menu on condition that it is not done too often and is accompanied by a soup or raw vegetables and, at the end, fresh fruit.
  These choices ensure we can be within the recommended calories for dinner (500 - 600 calories for a person with an energy requirement of 2000 calories to be distributed into 5 micro-meals).
  It would be better to consume protein in the evening with the dinner according to many nutritionists.
  If you are very hungry and think these portions are too small increase the vegetables neither the meat nor the olive oil nor the mayonnaise.
  To plan the lunch correctly: choose a pasta or rice recipe to be dressed with vegetable sauce. Complete with a seasonal green salad and fresh fruit.
• - Celebration menu. This rabbit salad is a perfect choice if you're planning a celebration menu because it can be combined easily with many other dishes and it is digestible.
• - This lamb recipe is low in fiber, only 3.7g. The daily value is 23g. A best reason to choose foods rich in fiber (vegetables and fruit) for the other meals of the day.
• - The recommended portions of meat per week must not be more than 3 to 4, included cuts (not more than one per week). Anyway give preference to poultry and white meat in general.
• - If you want to drink a glass of wine remember you have to add 80-85 calories per 100ml.
• - I remember you our original home recipes can be made without salt. There is always a combination of flavors that substitutes salt. Other no salt recipes ...

By Loretta

What's the right wine for " Rabbit salad " ?

Our suggestion is a good-quality white wine such as Regalali bianco (white wine from Sicily) or Pinot Grigio of Lison Pramaggiore DOC. We like particularly organic Pinot Grigio made by Le Carline Company. We discovered this company during our summer holidays in 2010 in Caorle. No sooner had we tasted these wines we fell in love with them, with their great personality, intense bouquet ... mmhh. Not to be missed!