So, now that you have a selection of Unibroue on hand, you’re probably wondering: how can I cook with this stuff? It’s actually pretty easy; get everything the day before, prep the rabbit legs and refrigerate them overnight, and the next day you just need to bake them while you make the sauce. And you can enjoy the rest of your beer while you wait.
Ingredients
4 rabbit legs
Olive oil
1 tsp. chopped garlic
3 cloves garlic, halved and degermed
7 sprigs fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
1 pinch coarse salt
1 tbsp. marinating spices
2 apples
1 tbsp. butter
2 French shallots, minced
2 cups cedar jelly or 1 cup apple jelly
1 bottle Éphémère Apple (25 oz.)
Salt or beef extract
Brown roux
Directions for Confit Rabbit
1. Place rabbit in a dish.
2. Season with marinating spices, bay leaves, garlic, and coarse salt, then refrigerate for 24 hours.
3. Remove salt and spices and place rabbit in an ovenproof dish.
4. Cover with olive oil. Add garlic and 3 sprigs of thyme.
5. Bake for about 2 hours at 300°F (rabbit is cooked when flesh is tender and separates easily from bone).
6. When rabbit is done, remove and place meat on a paper towel to absorb excess fat.
Directions for Cedar Jelly and Éphémère Apple Sauce
1. Peel apples and chop.
2. Fry apples with a pat of butter, shallots, and 4 sprigs of thyme.
3. Once apples are golden brown, add cedar or apple jelly.
4. Simmer for a few minutes.
5. Add beer and simmer for about 10 minutes.
6. Strain sauce and simmer again.
7. Thicken sauce with brown roux until desired consistency is reached.
8. Season with salt or beef extract.
To Finish
Pour sauce over confit rabbit and serve with salad or seasonal vegetables.
Photo credit: Unibroue.
