If you have been
following any of my articles, then you know that in addition to
chickens, we raise New Zealand meat rabbits here on the Todd and
Peggy (TAP) homestead. Each time we butcher rabbits, we cook the
bones down to make stock and remove any meat left on the bones which
we can in paint jars. For the most part we use the canned rabbit
interchangeably with chicken in casseroles, soups and in salads.
Recently, we were
visiting some friends and family of ours (Steven and Sue Coyne) to
celebrate both her and my birthday. As we were to have a cold buffet
style lunch I decided to make some rabbit salad to bring to the
party. There were four different types of bread, five types of deli
meats and various cheeses. The rabbit salad was especially tasty on
the pumpernickel bread. Anyway, this recipe is easy and quick to
make, especially if you have some canned rabbit sitting on your
pantry shelves. If not, it is also a good recipe for any leftover
cooked rabbit you might have sitting in the fridge.
The great thing
about this recipe is that is is very versatile. If you do not like
apple or do not have any, then try green or red grapes. Rabbit goes well
with grapes and sometimes we make this salad with grapes (sliced or
whole) instead of apples. If you do not like pecans, walnuts are
another great choice. When we have green onions in the garden I like
to add one or two stalks, but unfortunately we did not have any.
Anyway, I have also included a variation to make your one Waldorf
Rabbit Salad using diced rabbit. Try them both I am sure you will
enjoy them as much as we do.
TAP Homestead Rabbit
Salad Sandwich
1 pint canned rabbit
meat (12 to 14oz)
½ to 1 cup
mayonnaise or salad dressing
4 hard boiled eggs,
chopped (yolks removed)
1 gala apple,
peeled, cored, then chopped
¼ stalk of celery,
diced small (optional)
2 tablespoons
pecans, chopped
½ teaspoon onion
powder
½ teaspoon garlic
powder
¼ teaspoon dried
parsley
salt and pepper to
taste
The night before,
boil your eggs and allow them to cool, then peel and remove the yolks
and roughly chop them up and then place them in a small bowl in the
refrigerator until the next morning. I only do this to make sure my
eggs are nice and cold before combining with the rest of the salad. Chef's Note: If you are making the salad the day before use, you can omit this step
Open the canned of
chopped rabbit meat and drain in colander in the sink, or chop up 2
cups of leftover cooked rabbit and set it aside.
In a medium sized
bowl, add ½ cup mayonnaise, onion and garlic powder, pecans,
parsley, and celery (if using) and mix throughly. Add the chopped
eggs and the drained rabbit meat and mix again until combined. If at
this point you feel the salad is to dry, add an additional ¼ of
mayonnaise and mix well again. Continue to add mayonnaise as needed
in 1 tablespoon increments until you reach the desired consistency.
Then season with salt and pepper to taste.
Now all we have left
to do is add the apple. So cut your apple into eighth's, then peel
and remove and of the core and seeds that may remain. Coarsely chop
the apple then add it to your rabbit salad and mix it once again.
Sometimes I leave the peel on the apple, it just kinda of depends on my mood and who I am making the salad for. Personally, I feel the salad tastes best when allowed to rest for a
few hours in the refrigerator, especially if you are using rabbit
straight from the pantry that has not been refrigerated. Serve on
your favorite type of bread, roll or croissant for a delicious cold
sandwich.
TAP Homestead Rabbit
Waldorf Salad
1 head Boston Bib
lettuce, or lettuce of choice
2 cups cooked rabbit
meat, diced
½ to 1 cup
mayonnaise or salad dressing
2 gala apples, cored, then chopped (peeling optional)
¾ cup seedless
red or green grapes or combination
½ stalk of celery,
diced small
2 tablespoons
walnuts, chopped
1 teaspoon lemon
juice
½ teaspoon onion
powder
½ teaspoon garlic
powder
¼ teaspoon dried
parsley
salt and pepper to
taste
Follow the same
directions as for the TAP Rabbit Salad Sandwich, with the exception
of the eggs. Serve the salad over Boston Bib lettuce with a variety
of crackers and cheeses for a nice cool refreshing lunch on a hot
summer day.
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Conclusion
Making our own
rabbit salad out of meat removed from the cooked bones of rabbit that
we have canned is one way we expand the yield of our harvest. Having
canned rabbit on the shelf in your pantry allows you to make so many
quick and delicious meals for your family to enjoy. This recipe is
another one of those that is great for introducing people to the joys
of eating rabbit. And I really hate to say it, but in this recipe, the rabbit
really does taste like chicken. So I hope you will try these recipes
and that your family will enjoy them as much as ours does. As always,
if you have enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends
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so that you will not miss out on any of our new articles.
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Additional Rabbit
Recipes On Our Blog:
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