Fried Rabbit in Breadcrumbs
Submitted by mandy1385
Fried rabbit in breadcrumbs: a double-dredged, crisp-coated classic that treats rabbit like fried chicken. Milk-flour wash, then egg, then breadcrumbs. Serves with sautéed potatoes and greens.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
20 minREADY
30 minRabbit has been called the other white meat for a century, and a proper breadcrumb-fry is the clearest argument for it. The meat is leaner and faintly sweeter than chicken, and the double-dredge is what keeps that leanness from drying out.
Milk is doing double duty here. It tenderizes the meat in the first dip and helps the seasoned flour stick in a second layer of bondo so the egg wash has something to grab onto.
Letting the floured rabbit rest ten minutes is a step most home cooks skip, but it is where the dredge bonds to the meat. Skip it and the crust peels off in the oil.
Fry for a long twenty minutes. Rabbit has bones and dense thigh meat that need the time. Pierce a thick piece with a fork. If it slides through cleanly, the rabbit is done.
Serve with pan-fried potatoes and a simple green vegetable. The crust is rich, so keep the sides clean and bright.
Kitchen Tips
- Use a thermometer in the oil. Aim for 360°F (180°C) and keep it steady. Temperature swings are what give you a pale, greasy crust.
- Fresh breadcrumbs beat dry here. They fry up lighter and more craggy, with bigger surface for crunch.
- Portion the rabbit into saddle, forelegs, and hind legs. Fry thicker pieces first and add thinner pieces later so everything finishes together.
- Rest fried pieces on a wire rack, not paper towels. Paper traps steam under the crust and softens it.
Variations
- Soak the rabbit in buttermilk overnight before dredging for Southern-style fried rabbit. The acid tenderizes further.
- Swap plain breadcrumbs for panko to push the crust into Japanese katsu territory.
- Add ½ teaspoon smoked paprika and ½ teaspoon garlic powder to the flour for a spiced Cajun take.
Ingredients
Directions
Place milk in one bowl and mix together flour, salt and pepper in another.
Dip rabbit in milk then flour mixture, coating thoroughly.
Set aside for 10 minutes.
Combine egg and water in one bowl and breadcrumbs in another.
Dip rabbit first in egg mixture, then in breadcrumbs, coating thoroughly.
Fill a large frying pan one third full with oil.
Set over moderate heat and heat until it reaches 360 degrees f or a cube of dry bread dropped into the oil turns brown in 50 seconds.
Fry the rabbit pieces for 20 minutes or until tender when pierced with a fork.
Remove from pan and drain on paper towels.
Arrange on a serving dish garnish with parsley sprigs and serve immediately.
This can be served with sautéed potatoes and any fresh green vegetables.
Comments
