Rabbit is a very lean meat that can be literally "tough" to cook, which is perhaps why we see such little example of it on Miami's menus. Occasionally rabbit will pop up on a list of blackboard specials, but it doesn't seem to be the most popular dish around town. We know, they are extremely cute and fuzzy, with floppy ears. Tough sell for some.
It may seem a little evil to tout the extreme deliciousness of
rabbit on Easter, but dedicated gastro-fans embrace any opportunity to eat, right? The great news is that you don't have to feel too guilty about eating bunnies, because they reproduce so fast (we're talking hundreds of baby bunnies in one cycle) that if we didn't hunt them down, they could take over the world. That's Michael Bay's next movie.
When fried up, rabbit tastes like the best fried chicken you've ever eaten, only it's more tender, and pink, like duck meat. Transformed into a meaty ragu or even re-imagined in link form, the mild flavor of rabbit matches well with stronger ingredients, as in Barconeleta's "Caracoles a la Llauna," which marries garlicky snails and rabbit sausage.
Where to find culinary cottontails? We rooted out five of the best bunny dishes in the city. Happy Easter to everyone except the Easter bunny. He better run.
Sardinia Enoteca Ristorante's "Coniglio," is a classic Italian recipe of rabbit braised in wine with leeks and sautéed spinach ($32).
Casa Juancho slowly braises the rabbit in Spanish sherry and tosses in fresh sprigs of thyme to create their "Conejo al Jerez" ($24).
A traditional Spanish version of rabbit in a fragrant almond sauce, the "Conejo al Salmorejo" at Bocaito is one of their edited selection of "specialty" dishes.
The
Federal's "Wabbit & Waffles" ($19) has a crispy fried rabbit leg
alongside fluffy waffles, topped with a kumquat thyme butter and smoked
maple syrup.
Enjoy the hunt!
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