Rabbit Gumbo with Pheasant Andouille
This is a great way to turn someone into a rabbit lover, don’t let the roux intimidate you its all about consistent heat, its also a great way to involve someone else in the cooking process, they don’t have to be a professorial chef, just have to be able to stir!
For the Rabbit Legs
Ingredients:
6 each Rabbit Legs
1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
2 Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
1 cup Buttermilk
1 cup Oil (grape seed, avocado, canola or sunflower)
Process:
In a dutch oven heat the oil over medium high heat
While oil is heating up
Whisk together the flour and Cajun seasoning
Pour buttermilk and seasoned flour into two separate pans
Dredge Rabbit Legs in the seasoned flour, then buttermilk and back into the flour
Once oil is hot enough carefully lay the dredged rabbit legs into the dutch oven
Fry for 5 minutes per side, transfer to a wire lined sheet pan or paper towel lined plate to drain excess oil
For the Gumbo
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups All Purpose Flour
1 ½ cups Oil (grape seed, avocado, sunflower or canola)
2 Tbsp Butter
1 lbs Cooked Pheasant Andouille (sliced in half moons) (recipe below)
2 Tbsp Oil (grape seed, avocado, sunflower or canola)
2 cups Onions (diced)
2 cups Celery (diced)
2 cups Green Bell Pepper (diced)
1 each Jalapeno Pepper (seeds removed & diced)
8 each Garlic Cloves (minced)
6 cups Game Stock (can also use chicken)
3 each Bay Leaves
2 Tbsp File Powder
½ tsp Ground Allspice
10 sprigs Thyme
2 sprigs Rosemary
1 cup Sliced Frozen Okra
1 ½ Tbsp Cajun Seasoning
Process:
Heat a heavy bottomed skillet over medium heat
Add the oil, cook until oil is hot
Whisk in the flour, cook stirring frequently for 30-45 minutes, you want the color to be a dark rusty brick to milk chocolate hue
Scrape roux into a bowl and set aside, if any oil separates pour it off carefully
Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat
Add butter & andouille cook for 10-12 minutes stirring occasionally until well browned
Remove Sausage with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels
To the dutch oven add the onions, celery, bell peppers & jalapenos, cook stirring occasionally for 6 minutes
Add garlic, cook for 1 minute stirring constantly
Add stock, bring to a boil
Once boiling stir in the bay leaves, file powder and allspice
Whisk in the roux, cook for 4 minutes
Reduce heat to low, add okra, thyme, rosemary and cajun seasoning
Season with salt
Add fried rabbit legs to the gumbo, simmer for 45 minutes
Remove legs from the gumbo and shred meat with two forks, return shredded meat to the gumbo
Serve over cooked rice or with a scoop of potato salad on the edge of the bowl and garnish with scallions
*note you can also use store bought andouille if you don’t have any in the freezer or don’t want to deal with the process of making it yourself
Pheasant Andouille
Ingredients:
1 each Medium Onion (diced)
7 lbs Pheasant Meat (diced)
3 lbs Bacon (diced)
2 grams Instacure #1
3 Tbsp Salt
2/3 cup Powdered Milk
12 each Garlic Cloves (chopped)
1 Tbsp Cayenne Pepper
4 Tbsp Smoked Paprika
1 tsp Ground Clove
1/2 tsp Ground Allspice
6 tsp Dry Thyme
1 tsp Ground Fennel Seed
1 tsp Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp Ground Coriander
2 tsp Mustard Powder
1/2 cup Red Wine
1/2 cup Cheap Beer (just a lager or pilsner, don’t use IPA or dark beer)
Hog Casings (rinsed of salt)
Process:
Soak hog casings in warm water, set aside
Mix Red Wine & Beer, refrigerate until cold
Heat a splash of oil over medium flame
Add the onion to the pan, cook stirring frequently for 5 minutes, let cool
Toss diced pheasant and bacon with everything except the casings until evenly coated
Place in freezer fror 1 hour, tossing everything halfway through
Grind through a coarse die
Place back in freezer for 45 minutes tossing halfway through
Grind through a fine die, mix until slightly tacky (about 4 minutes by hand, 2 if using a stand mixer or mixing machine)
Stuff into casings and twist into links
Hang at room temperature for 2 hours
Carefully pierce any air pockets with a small needle
Hot smoke links for 3-4 hours until 155f internal temperature