One-Pot Wonders

Rabbit and Tasso Gumbo

by:
April  5, 2010
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Rabbit and Tasso Gumbo
  • Serves 6
Author Notes

Here comes Peter Cottontail, hopping down the bunny trail, hippity hoppity ... WHACK! ZIP! Into the pot! I know, it's evil. It should be noted here that I am not the only one (ahem ... Mr L ...) that finds it hilarious to eat bunny on Easter. We have been known to have venison at Christmas as well ... —aargersi

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • 1 rabbit
  • olive oil
  • cajun seasoning (we use Joe's Stuff but you can use your favorite)
  • 1 medium yellow onion
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 3 stalks celery - greens and all
  • 3 large cloves garlic
  • 1/2 pound tasso ham
  • 1/2 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 quart chicken stock
  • 3 bay leaves
  • 1/2 tablespoon dried thyme
  • 3 tablespoons gumbo file (ground sassafras)
  • cayenne pepper (to taste)
  • minced green onion (to top it with)
  • cooked long grain white rice (to serve it over)
Directions
  1. Cook the rabbit - heat the oven to 350. Cut Peter R up into chunks if he isn't already - no need to be fancy it's all coming off the bone later. Smear him all over with olive oil and then season liberally with cajun seasoning. Roast on a sheet pan for about 45 minutes, then remove from the oven to cool. Once it's cooled, pull the meat off the bones and chop into bite size hunks. Save the bones for stock.
  2. Now get everything mise en place ... once you start the roux you are COMMITTED! Chop the onion, pepper and celery (greens too!) into a 1/2 inch dice. Mince the garlic, chop the tasso, and warm the stock. Have the seasonings on standby. You are ready to roll.
  3. Put a sign on the door - Making A Roux, Can't Come To The Door. Heat a large heavy pot to medium high - I use a Le Cruset Dutch oven. Add in the oil and the flour and start stirring. I use a wooden spatula with a flat top, this gives you maximum stirrer-to-pan contact and will help keep things moving. As the roux starts to go golden you want to turn the heat down a bit, and I find myself inching the heat down all along until it's ready.
  4. Keep stirring. Do not stop. If you scorch the roux you have to start over and it is likely your arms will fall off. You want this to get to a deep chocolate brown, it's a bit scary at the end but be brave and keep stirring. It will take a half hour maybe a bit more depending on your pan / heat / bravado / etc.
  5. When your roux is nice and dark (see photo) add in the vegetables. They will sizzle like mad at first ... stir them around for a few minutes, then turn the heat back up and add the stock, bay leaf and thyme. The roux probably will lump up and look wierd at first - don't worry as soon as that stock gets simmering it will all turn thick and smooth and wonderful.
  6. After a few minutes, add the tasso, simmer, after a few more minutes add the rabbit. Simmer a few MORE minutes (did I mention this is going to take awhile?) taste the gumbo and now you want to start adding a bit more cajun seasoning a little at a time - be cautious because the ham and the rabbit are adding salt to your gumbo. Taste add taste add until it is the way you like it. I also add extra cayenne because we like spicy, but that is entirely up to you. Now is a good time to cook the rice and chop the green onions too.
  7. Just a few minutes before serving, add the Gumbo File into your pot and stir. Let that combine in and you are ready ... serve the gumbo over rice, top with green onions, sit back and enjoy! You are probably exhausted!
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aargersi

Recipe by: aargersi

Country living, garden to table cooking, recent beek, rescue all of the dogs, #adoptdontshop

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12 Reviews

hardlikearmour
hardlikearmour February 3, 2011
Next time make an oven roux! You will not regret it.
 
bethy
bethy April 26, 2010
Sounds delicious! That's one way to keep the varmits out of the garden!
 
coffeefoodwrite
coffeefoodwrite April 5, 2010
Venison at Christmas is my all-time favorite Christmas meal -- How could it be wrong???
 
melissav
melissav April 5, 2010
Too funny. I just read an article in the paper yesterday about a bunch of restaurants getting hate mail and boycotted for serving rabbit on Easter. I think it is hilarious!
 
aargersi
aargersi April 5, 2010
I got a few sideways looks from the family too ... I also brought your blood orange and feta tea cake to Easter (made with navels since blood oranges are gone) and everyone went crazy for it - it is a hit every time!
 
melissav
melissav April 6, 2010
Glad the tea cake was a hit. By the way, speaking of the bunny, if you are ever in New Orleans, you have to go to Cochon and get the rabbit and dumplings if they are still on the menu. I dream about that dish sometimes (okay, a lot).
 
aargersi
aargersi April 6, 2010
I am going to be there THURSDAY! I will look it up right now!
 
theicp
theicp April 5, 2010
This sounds so good! (But I always feel guilty about liking rabbit. Why do they have to be so cute yet so tasty?)
 
aargersi
aargersi April 5, 2010
I know, I try not to think about their cuteness! Focus on the tasty aspect ...
 
dymnyno
dymnyno April 5, 2010
You're heartless , Abbie!!! Actually I ran over a jackrabbit on the road on Saturday...I WAS aiming for the pair of turkeys in front of me! (they are all enemies of the vineyard)
 
aargersi
aargersi April 5, 2010
Run those turkeys over, pluck 'em, and throw 'em in the stock pot! I know, we're twisted, yes? It is really good gumbo though! Plus you can totaly shock your friends and famly when you tell them what you are making, and that is good fun - HAHA!!!!!
 
coffeefoodwrite
coffeefoodwrite April 5, 2010
Funny! When I see ducks quaking in a pond -- any pond -- anywhere -- my stomach growls....