Name: Embla’s rabbit rillettes, sage, sprouts and seeds
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 135 min
Total time: 165 min
Yield: 10
Ingredients: 25 gm mung beans (see note); 2½ tbsp pumpkin seeds; 100 gm butter, diced; 1 cup (loosely packed) sage; ¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley; 10 thick slices sourdough bread (about 1 loaf); 2-3 tbsp olive oil, for drizzling; Rabbit rillettes; 1 rabbit (1kg-1.2kg; see note); 400 gm piece of skinless pork belly, cut into 1cm dice; 3 garlic cloves; 1 fresh bay leaf

Embla’s rabbit rillettes, sage, sprouts and seeds

Rillettes are a French bistro classic. But they're surprisingly simple to prepare at home, too.

Rabbit rillettes, sage, sprouts and seeds recipe by Dave Verheul

Serves 10

Prep

30M

Cook

2H 15M

Total

2H 45M

“Adding herbs, sprouts and seeds is a great way to lighten rillettes,” says Dave Verheul. Start this recipe two days ahead to sprout the mung beans and make the rillettes.

Ingredients

25 gm mung beans (see note)

2½ tbsp pumpkin seeds

100 gm butter, diced

1 cup (loosely packed) sage

¼ cup coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley

10 thick slices sourdough bread (about 1 loaf)

2-3 tbsp olive oil, for drizzling

Rabbit rillettes

1 rabbit (1kg-1.2kg; see note)

400 gm piece of skinless pork belly, cut into 1cm dice

3 garlic cloves

1 fresh bay leaf

Method

1.Soak mung beans in cold water for 8 hours, then drain, transfer to a jar and cover with muslin held in place by a rubber band. Rinse and drain a couple of times each day until sprouted (1-2 days).

2.For rillettes, preheat oven to 180°C. Remove legs from rabbit and cut mid-section into three pieces (see note). Arrange rabbit, pork, garlic and bay leaf tightly and evenly in a 2-litre baking dish. Add 300ml water, cover with a lid or tightly with foil and bake until meat can be pulled apart easily (13⁄4-2 hours). Leave uncovered to cool (11⁄2-2 hours). Remove bones, shred meat into a bowl, and add 250ml cooking liquid (discard remaining) and season to taste. Cover and refrigerate to chill (3 hours or overnight).

3.Preheat oven to 160°C and dry-roast pepitas on an oven tray until golden (10-15 minutes).

4.Heat butter in a frying pan over high heat, add sage leaves and fry until crisp (2-3 minutes). Drain on paper towels.

5.Remove rillettes from fridge and leave in a warm place to soften (45 minutes to 1 hour), then stir in parsley, sage, pepitas and sprouts and season to taste.

6.Heat a barbecue or char-grill pan to high heat. Drizzle bread with oil and grill until charred (1-2 minutes each side).

7.Serve rillettes with toast.

Sprouted mung beans are available from select health-food shops. You may need to order the rabbit ahead. Your butcher may also be able to prepare the rabbit for you.
Notes

Dave Verheul

Styling by Lisa Featherby