Crispy Rabbit Legs with Nuoc Ma, Peanuts & Watercress

Our #EatNZKaitaki Chef Sam Gasson of Moiety Restaurant is a huge fan of rabbits delicate flavour & tender texture. This recipe is from the snack menu, where rabbit legs are brined, sous vide & fried.

Rabbit is often overlooked as an ingredient in New Zealand cuisine, but it's a shame, as it's a versatile and delicious meat. It has a delicate flavour and tender texture, making it perfect for a variety of dishes. Despite its delicious taste, you don't see rabbit on many menus these days. In this recipe, I aim to celebrate this under-appreciated ingredient and showcase its full potential in a dish that was on our snack menu at Moiety and makes perfect drinking food.

We're using two techniques to bring out the best in our rabbit legs. Cooking them sous vide and marinating the legs in Shiro Koji, which acts as a natural tenderiser, breaking down the lean, high-working muscle fibres and making the meat incredibly tender and flavourful. With these two techniques, we're taking our rabbit legs to the next level and delivering a truly mouth-watering dish you won't forget.

Crispy Rabbit Legs with Nuoc Ma, Peanuts & Watercress

Ingredients

• 1kg Rabbit Legs

• 750ml Water

• 15g Salt

• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced

• 10g Honey

• 5g Paprika

• 5g Thyme

• 5g Rosemary

• 10g Red Pepper Flakes

• 100ml Shiro Koji

• Oil for frying 

• 50g Chopped Toasted Peanuts

• Watercress for garnish

Instructions

1. In a pot, combine the water, salt, garlic, honey, paprika, thyme, rosemary, and red pepper flakes to make a brine. Bring to a boil and stir to dissolve the salt and honey.

2. Remove the pot from heat and let it cool to room temperature.

3. Once cooled, add the Rabbit Legs to the brine and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 12 hours.

4. Remove Rabbit Legs from brine, pat dry, then rub with Shiro Koji, place in a vacuum bag and fully seal.

5. Sous vide at 75°C for 12 hours then chill completely.

6. Preheat your oil to 170°C.

7. Remove the Rabbit from the bags and pat dry.

8. Fry legs until they reach a core temperature of 75°C.

9. Garnish with a healthy drizzle of Nuoc Ma sauce, chopped peanuts and watercress.

Nuoc Ma Recipe

Ingredients

• 100g Garum (or Fish Sauce)

• 200g Sugar

• 25g Rice Vinegar

• 25g Water

• 2 Cloves Garlic, minced

• 20g Lime Juice

• 25g Shallots, finely diced

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat until the sugar turns to a light caramel.

2. Remove from the heat, and add the garlic, shallots and rice vinegar.

3. Place back on the heat at a medium-low temperature and add the garum (or fish sauce) and lime juice. Stir to combine.

4. Cook for an additional 5-7 minutes or until the sauce has thickened and is a rich caramel colour.

5. Let the sauce cool to room temperature before using.

Note: Garum is a fermented fish sauce that was commonly used in ancient Roman cuisine. It can be challenging to find in modern times, but fish sauce can be used as a substitute. Adjust the saltiness of the sauce to your liking.

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Image and recipe by Chef Sam Gasson. See more over at @moietydunedin