Braised Rabbit

Name: Braised Rabbit
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 1 h 15 min
Total time: 2 h
Ingredients: 11250 g plump tender rabbit (slaughtered, defeathered, gutted, and washed); 50 g cleaned winter bamboo shoots (blanched in boiling water and sliced); 15 g rehydrated cuttlefish (sliced); 10 g preserved winter vegetable (soaked in warm water, washed of grit); 15 g rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms; 1000 g rendered pork fat (about 100 g actually used); 5 g wet cornstarch slurry; 50 g garlic whites (sliced); 5 g fine salt; 50 g Shaoxing wine; 1 g white pepper; 25 g soy sauce; 150 g clear meat broth; 10 g MSG

A traditional dish from Shanghang County, Fujian, made with rabbit meat that is deep-fried and then steamed—crispy yet tender, fragrant, slightly sweet, glutinous, and refreshing.

2 hours

Easy

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Ingredients

plump tender rabbit (slaughtered, defeathered, gutted, and washed) 11250 g

cleaned winter bamboo shoots (blanched in boiling water and sliced) 50 g

rehydrated cuttlefish (sliced) 15 g

preserved winter vegetable (soaked in warm water, washed of grit) 10 g

rehydrated dried shiitake mushrooms 15 g

rendered pork fat (about 100 g actually used) 1000 g

wet cornstarch slurry 5 g

garlic whites (sliced) 50 g

fine salt 5 g

Shaoxing wine 50 g

white pepper 1 g

soy sauce 25 g

clear meat broth 150 g

MSG 10 g

Instructions

Preprocessing

Slaughter the rabbit, remove the hair, slice open the belly and remove the innards, slit open the ears, nose, and eyes, wash thoroughly, then drop into a pot of boiling water for a quick blanch to draw out the blood and gamey odor. Lift out, drain off the water, and spread open to air-dry.

Cutting and Prep

Blanch the winter bamboo shoots in boiling water until just cooked, then lift out. Slice them together with the cuttlefish and garlic whites. Soak the preserved winter vegetable in warm water to soften, then rinse clean of any grit. Combine the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, fine salt, MSG, white pepper, and clear meat broth into a single sauce mixture.

Deep-frying

Place a wok over high heat, add the rendered pork fat, and heat until about 70% hot. Lower the whole rabbit into the oil, turning it evenly until deep golden brown all over, then lift out into a strainer to drain off the excess oil.

Portioning and Steaming

Cut off the claws and tail of the fried rabbit. First chop off the head and feet, then remove the skull bones, brain tissue, and teeth, and cut them together with the feet and rabbit body into pieces about 3.3 cm long by 1.7 cm wide. Arrange the body meat pieces in a steaming bowl with the skin facing down, pile the head and foot pieces in the middle, then lay the shiitake mushrooms, preserved winter vegetable, winter bamboo shoots, cuttlefish, and garlic white slices on top. Pour the prepared sauce over everything, and steam over high heat for 1 hour. Remove, pour off the steaming liquid, then invert the bowl onto a serving plate to unmold.

Thickening the Sauce

Place the wok over high heat, add the reserved steaming liquid and bring to a boil. Thicken with the wet cornstarch slurry, pour the glossy sauce over the rabbit, and serve.