Rabbit Confit with Wild Ramp Salsa Verde
Confit is a traditional French process where an ingredient is cooked at a low temperature in fat. The technique is an ideal fit for rabbit legs as it will successfully break down the connective tissue in this ‘well-exercised’ cut.Ingredients:
For the confit:
4 rabbit legs, bone-in
1 ounce Kosher salt per pound of total rabbit
2 quarts rendered duck fat (feel free to use your stockpile of bacon grease instead)
Weigh the rabbit legs, and toss them in a bowl with 1 ounce of salt per pound. Use your hands to really rub the salt into the meat.
Lay the legs flat on a cookie sheet and cover with plastic. Place the rabbit in the refrigerator and let set overnight to cure in the salt.
The next day preheat the oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse the salt off in cold water and pat the legs dry. Next, warm the duck fat so it melts, place the rabbit legs in a casserole, and completely cover them in warm fat.
Carefully place the casserole in the oven for 2.5 hours. To test if the rabbit is finished use some tongs to grab a leg; you should easily be able to bend the knee joint back and forth.
When the rabbit is done, remove the casserole from the oven. At this point you can put it in the refrigerator and store it. The fat will solidify, and as long as the rabbit is fully submerged, the fat will form a protective barrier against oxygen and light to help preserve the rabbit.
For the ramp salsa verde:
2 each wild ramps
4 sprigs cilantro
8 sprigs parsley
2 sprigs mint
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon mustard
1 lemon, juiced
Cut the ramps into two, so you have the white end and the green. Thinly slice the white end of the ramp and place in a small mixing bowl. Roughly chop the green ends with the remaining herbs and add to the bowl. Using a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, mix the herbs together and add the mustard, olive oil, and lemon juice. This sauce is ready to use or will keep in the refrigerator for 3 days.
You can watch Chef Tim prepare this wonderful dish at https://youtu.be/GFhjkPvUFWw
And, you can see more helpful videos from The Preserve Kitchens at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1Y_brHLoYMoNeeEvo3pA1w
