Acorn-Crusted Rabbit
I took a friend out to look for acorns yesterday. I had a few neighborhoods in mind from which I've collected acorns in the past. Alas, those trees didn't produce this year. But I'm sure we made an amusing site - him driving at a snail's pace down the street, with me hanging out the passenger side, scouting the gutters and sidewalks for acorns. At one point a cop car passed by. My friend said to me, "He didn't seem too interested. But if he had stopped us, I would have told him you were looking for your contact lens." This pleased me immensely. I consider a good cover story to be a hallmark of excellent foraging instincts. After all, a forager must protect their best spots.
If I should happen to lay in more acorns and put away some flour, I'll be reaching for this recipe often. Here, I used acorn flour as a simple crust on rabbit fillets. It was rich and nutty, but the flavor didn't overtake the meat, sort of like rabbit McNuggets. I think an acorn crust would be lovely on any mild meat, from chicken to fish.
How to Make an Acorn Crust for Rabbit
In a glass pie dish, combine acorn flour and arrowroot (or any other flour or starch) in a ratio of 5:1. Sprinkle in seasoning of your choice. In this case, I used onion powder, mustard powder, cayenne, paprika, and monarda (aka wild oregano). Also add salt and pepper. Be sure to taste a little pinch of the flour to make sure it has enough salt.
In a bowl, whisk an egg with a tablespoon of water.
Pound out rabbit fillets to 1/4" thickness. Season on both sides with salt and pepper. Dip the meat first into the egg wash, then in the seasoned acorn flour.
Heat a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium. Add enough lard to generously cover the bottom of the pan. Fry the acorn-crusted fillets until meat is cooked through, approximately 2 minutes per side. The acorn crust will turn a deep chocolate-brown.
I served my acorn-crusted rabbit with a sauce of lemon, butter, and capers. But if you've got kids or picky eaters in the house, I think they'd be great served with honey mustard.
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I'm happy to share this recipe with the Hearth and Soul Hop, Real Food Wednesday, and Fat Tuesday.
