Rabbit with pumpkin in orange sauce
6 servings
70 minutes
Rabbit with pumpkin in orange sauce is an exquisite dish of Russian cuisine that combines the tenderness of rabbit meat, the sweetness of pumpkin, and the brightness of citrus notes. This dish is a gastronomic poem where every detail plays its role. Sherry adds depth to the sauce, thyme and garlic enhance the aroma, while orange juice fills it with freshness. Rabbit has traditionally been used in Russian cuisine for its mild flavor and dietary properties. Pumpkin adds a light sweetness that softens the spicy notes of the spices. The roasted rabbit becomes incredibly juicy, and the sauce absorbs the juices of meat and vegetables, transforming into a rich harmony of flavors. This dish is perfect for a cozy family dinner or a festive table setting, leaving unforgettable gastronomic impressions.
1
A good unfrozen rabbit needs to be butchered: front legs, back legs, ribs, back — usually about ten to twelve pieces of various sizes are obtained, depending on the size of the rabbit.
- Rabbit: 1 piece
2
In a deep skillet or cast-iron pot, heat the melted butter and fry pieces of rabbit meat on all sides for a few minutes until browned. Add peeled garlic cloves to the rabbit and sauté, stirring, for another three to four minutes. Then add orange juice and zest, sherry, bay leaf, and thyme sprigs. Season with salt and pepper and bring the liquid to a boil.
- Clarified butter (ghee): 50 g
- Rabbit: 1 piece
- Garlic: 2 cloves
- Oranges: 1 piece
- Sherry: 200 ml
- Bay leaf: 1 piece
- Thyme: 4 pieces
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
3
Then add pieces of pumpkin to the rabbit and place a saucepan or pot in the oven preheated to 180 degrees for an hour. It is better to wrap the pot in foil beforehand, making a few holes in it, so that the meat does not dry out on top and does not boil in the intense steam.
- Pumpkin: 1 kg
4
After an hour, take out the pot with the rabbit and serve it, drizzled with the sauce made from the close relationship of wine, orange juice, and the juices of pumpkin and rabbit. Another option is to prepare the pumpkin in advance by coating its pieces in olive oil mixed with salt, pepper, and thyme leaves, and serve it as a side dish with the rabbit in garlic and orange-wine sauce.
- Pumpkin: 1 kg
- Clarified butter (ghee): 50 g
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
- Thyme: 4 pieces
