Garlic Roasted Rabbit

Allow me to share a delightful Czech recipe for roasted rabbit with garlic. Since rabbit meat is quite lean, I include slices of pork belly to enhance the juiciness and impart a perfect flavor to the dish.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Czech

Keyword Meat recipes

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 2 30

Total Time 2 45

Servings

Calories 922kcal

Author Petra Kupská

Ingredients

1 rabbit whole; weighing 5-6.5 lbs (2.5-3 kg)
1 pound pork belly skinless, boneless
1 large onion peeled and sliced
4 cloves garlic peeled and minced
½ Tablespoon salt
½ cup water

Cups - Metric

Instructions

Clean the rabbit thoroughly to remove any remaining hair. Rinse it and pat it dry. Peel the onion and slice it into rings. Peel and mince the garlic. Cut the pork belly into pieces approximately 1 ½ inches (3-4 cm) thick.
Salt the pork belly pieces. Rub the rabbit all over with minced garlic and salt.
Place the pieces of pork belly in the baking dish, then layer the onions on them. Set the rabbit on this prepared base. Carefully pour about ½ to ¾ cup (120-180 ml) of water into the baking dish, making sure not to splash the rabbit meat.
Cover with a lid and cook.
How long to roast a rabbit? Roast the rabbit in an oven preheated to 340 °F. After an hour, remove the lid. Continue baking for another 60-90 minutes until the water has evaporated and the rabbit begins to roast rather than stew. During this time, ensure the meat does not overcook by basting it with the juices every 10-15 minutes. After a total of two to two and a half hours, the rabbit and pork belly should be done.

Notes

SERVING: Potato dumplings and sautéed spinach make excellent accompaniments to this rabbit roast. Arrange 4-6 dumplings around the perimeter of each plate, then add the rabbit and pork belly pieces. Top the dumplings with the onions and pan juices. Finally, add a scoop of sautéed spinach to complete the dish.
Rabbit meat is lean and contains little fat, which can make the roast dry. Therefore, combining roast rabbit with pork belly is an excellent solution. This method was how my granny roasted a rabbit, and I have to say that her version of rabbit-pork belly combo was absolutely delicious.
If you bake the rabbit without pork belly, it is a good idea to add some pork lard to the baking dish and baste the rabbit more frequently during roasting.

Nutrition