Braised Rabbit Saddle, Broad Bean and Bacon Risotto

Celebrate the best of British

Recipes

Indulge in British food! Seek out in-season fruits and vegetables, quality British meat and some of our country's fabulous cheeses and dairy produce when you are out shopping and use these to create delicious meals at home. What about trying some of our most traditional dishes, such as Shepherd's Pie or Apple Crumble, and giving them a modern twist?!

If you have children, consider involving them in the preparation of the meal - British Food Fortnight is a great opportunity to teach them a few cooking skills as well as an appreciation of the pleasures and health benefits of eating good food.

There are lots of recipe ideas for you to try. Follow the Recipe menu options to find the one that tempts you most!

Braised Rabbit Saddle, Broad Bean and Bacon Risotto

Recipe from Loose Birds and Game by Andrew Pern. To order a copy go to www.loosebirdsandgame.co.uk

Serves four

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours

Ingredients:

For the rabbit
a little oil for frying
4 rabbit saddles
2 litres chicken stock
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic, crushed and chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
10 lovage leaves, roughly chopped
For the risotto
50g shallots, peeled and diced
a little rapeseed oil for cooking
200g risotto rice
500ml chicken stock
50g broad beans, peeled
100g smoked bacon lardons
75ml whipping cream
50g cheddar cheese, grated.
seasoning
4 x 50g pieces of boudin noir or black pudding
for garnish
4 strips of smoked streaky bacon, cooked
fresh herbs

Method:

In a large, heavy-bottomed pan, colour the saddles of rabbit in a little oil, add the chicken stock and bring to the simmer, add the onion, carrot, garlic and thyme to the stock, and cover with a lid or some foil. Cook gently over a low heat for approximately one hour. Then remove the saddles and keep warm. Pass the stock through a strainer and discard the vegetables. Return the stock to the heat and reduce rapidly to a light ‘sauce’ consistency. Add around 10 chopped lovage leaves and leave to infuse. Keep warm.

To make the risotto, first sweat the shallot in a drop of rapeseed oil in a heavy-bottomed pan without colouring only for 1 to 2 minutes, add the rice, stir briefly again, add 500ml chicken stock, a ladle at a time, cook out the rice, stirring all the time, so it doesn’t stick and until most of the stock has evaporated. Add the broad beans and lardons, the cream and the cheese, then check the consistency and seasoning. The rice should be ‘al dente’ (firm to the bite).

Heat up the grill and cook the boudin noir for approximately 4 minutes. To finish, take the rabbit saddles and remove a loin from each side. Place into the sauce to warm though. Place a little risotto onto each plate or bowl with two loins on each, and a slice of the grilled boudin noir on top of each portion. Finish with the lovage juices and some smoked bacon and garden herbs, such as chive flowers. Serve immediately.