Hoss’s Rabbit ‘n’ Dumplin’s

Name: Hoss’s Rabbit ‘n’ Dumplin’s
Yield: makes 6 servings
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive or canola oil; 6 hind legs of rabbit, or 6 whole chicken legs; Salt and pepper; 3 cups Chicken Stock (p. 206); Bouquet Garni (p. 145); 1 onion, quartered and pierced with 2 whole cloves; 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter; 2 medium turnips, peeled and diced; 2 medium carrots, peeled, split lengthwise, and cut into 1/2-inch pieces; 1 onion, diced; 2 celery stalks, diced; 1 garlic clove, minced; 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme; 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh sage; 4 tablespoons flour; 1 cup milk; 4 cups stock from cooking the rabbit; Bouquet Garni (p. 145); Cooked rabbit meat; Salt and pepper; Dumplin’ dough; 1 1/2 cups flour; 1/2 cup cornmeal; 1 tablespoon baking powder; 3/4 teaspoon salt; 1 egg, beaten with a fork; 2 tablespoons butter, melted; 1/4 cup finely chopped onion; 1/2 cup milk; Black pepper

December 14, 2011

This may be the all-time favorite Bayona family meal, created by Greg Collier, aka “Hoss,” one of my all-time favorite sous chefs (he’s now executive chef of Redfish Grill, which is also in the French Quarter). Hoss adapted his family’s chicken and dumplin’ recipe, and the staff still clamors for it whenever there’s a chill in the air. This recipe takes a little time, but it’s worth it. For this preparation, the “dumplin’s” are baked atop a thickened stew (rather than boiled or steamed in broth). Because we use mainly the hind legs and backstrap, or tenders, of the rabbit for the menu, we end up with lots of forelegs and breast meat to use for other things, such as sausage, confit, and crew food. (Naturally, we use the bones to make stock.) You can prepare the meat and stew up to a day ahead, then reheat gently and bake it with the dumplin’s. If you just can’t eat bunnies, chicken may be substituted.

Recipe notes

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