SERVES 4 TO 5 AS A MAIN COURSE, 6 TO 8 AS PART OF A MULTICOURSE MEAL
Our first Easter at the restaurant, I had the misguided notion to put a rabbit sandpot with this name on the menu. I found it vastly amusing—not to mention delicious—but that weekend’s guests roundly ignored it in favor of less symbolic fare. Oh, well. The irony continued years later when the creator of the dish, one of our very talented cooks, left her husband to take up with a man who raised rabbits.
For fullest flavor, the rabbit should be marinated overnight. The remaining preparations, including the cooking, take less than an hour.
1 whole fresh rabbit (2 to 2½ pounds), cut into small serving pieces
MARINADE:
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, plum wine, or dry sherry
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons Ma-La Oil (page 17), Five-Flavor Oil (page 13), or Japanese sesame oil
1 teaspoon Chinese chili sauce
1½ tablespoons finely minced garlic
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green and white scallion rings
1 tablespoon finely minced fresh ginger
1½ tablespoons finely minced fresh ginger
1½ tablespoons finely minced garlic
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green and white scallion rings
SAUCE:
1 cup China Moon Infusion (page 72), China Moon Double Stock (page 72), or unsalted chicken stock
2 tablespoons Chinese rice wine, plum wine, or dry sherry
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
4 to 5 tablespoons corn or peanut oil, for searing and stir-frying
1 small carrot, diced
1 small yellow onion, diced
2 ribs celery, diced
1 small stalk fresh lemongrass, smashed
Diagonally cut green and white scallion rings, for garnish
When my husband, who is funny and brilliant, was reviewing this chapter, the question came up as to why a rabbit was included in the poultry chapter. I sluffed it off with a comment about traditional order in cookbooks, but then I thought, “Why, indeed?” Bunnies lack wings, beaks, stiletto toes, and other such appendages, so why be-fowl them? Any answers to this puzzle will be respectfully received. We have addressed it to several friends, a courtly stuffed rabbit among them, and no one has a good response.
1. If you are cutting up the rabbit yourself, use a large, heavy, sharp knife and chop forcefully with a conviction you may be lacking. First cut the forelegs from the trunk. Then sever the hind legs at the hip and knee. Cut the body lengthwise, separating the rib cage from the saddle into 3 pieces. Chop off and discard the bony hem of the rib pieces. Cut the loin and rib sections crosswise into 3 pieces. Reserve the heart and liver, if you like, for another use.
2. In a bowl, combine all of the marinade ingredients through the ginger. Add the rabbit and toss well. Cover and marinate for several hours at room temperature; or, for best flavor, refrigerate overnight. Let come to room temperature before searing.
3. Combine the aromatics in a small dish; cover until ready to use.
4. Combine all of the sauce ingredients through the soy sauce in a bowl. Stir to blend, leaving the spoon in the bowl.
5. Heat a wok or large heavy skillet until hot enough to evaporate a bead of water on contact. Add 1½ tablespoons of the oil and swirl to coat the pan. When the oil is nearly smoking, add the rabbit pieces 4 or 5 at a time, without crowding, and brown until evenly deep gold, about 2 minutes on each side. The rabbit will still be raw in the middle. Remove the seared rabbit to a plate lined with a triple thickness of paper towels. Wipe the pan clean, add more oil, and sear the remaining pieces. All the above, including the vegetable cutting, may be done a full day ahead. Seal and refrigerate the ingredients; let come to room temperature before cooking.
6. About 30 minutes before serving, heat a wok or large heavy casserole over high heat until hot enough to evaporate a bead of water on contact. Add 1½ tablespoons of the oil and swirl to glaze the pan. When the oil is hot enough to sizzle a scallion ring on contact, turn the heat down to moderate. Add the aromatics and stir gently until fully fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds, adjusting the heat so they foam without browning. Add the carrot dice and toss for 1 minute. Add the onion and celery, and toss for 2 minutes more. Adjust the heat to maintain a merry sizzle and drizzle a bit more oil down the side of the pan, if needed to prevent sticking. Add the rabbit leg pieces and toss to combine. Stir the sauce and add it to the pan. Add the lemongrass, burying it under the liquid and the rabbit. Bring the sauce to a weak simmer.
7. Adjust the heat to prevent boiling, cover the pot, and gently simmer the stew for 5 minutes. Add the loin and rib pieces, stir to combine, then replace the cover and simmer for 10 minutes more. Check the thickest piece of rabbit to see that it is cooked through. Discard the lemongrass.
8. Serve the stew promptly in individual heated bowls of contrasting color. Garnish with the scallion rings.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: Some Stir-Fried Zucchini Ribbons (page 437) or seasonal greens would be nice with this dish, as would steamed or stir-fried rice. You might choose the lusher Shanghai Rice (page 418) if you’re feeling dressy or Easter-festive. Or, if you’re feeling lazy, accompany the stew with some hot crusty bread.