With all of the sweet goodies we make for Daring Bakers which I love, I was incredibly excited to see a lasagne recipe appear for March’s challenge. And as soon as I read it, I knew what I wanted to do for my lasagne. Firstly I wanted to make an open lasagne which has sat on my “to make” list for the longest time and secondly I wanted to make a Rabbit Ragù. Not that I have anything against rabbits mind you, I find them perfectly cute but I was intrigued by the idea of making a rabbit dish and I adore ragù.
Growing up, I had a Greek friend and her mum once made rabbit while we were at their house and I was disturbed by the smell of it cooking. But I wondered was this a symptom of my rabbitless palate? Had I matured my taste since then? I hoped so. Procuring a rabbit was a bit of a challenge. I rang a few butchers – some said that they didn’t stock it while other said that they didn’t stock it because it was expensive. One rabbit typically costs about $35 (1.5 kilos) and one butcher said that there just wasn’t a demand for it. I did find one Mosman butcher, Penny’s, who had fresh or frozen rabbits. To get a fresh one, just give them 2 day’s notice so I did, excited by the idea of obtaining a fresh rabbit.
I wanted to rabbit to be soft, much like the veal ragù I had at Pendolino’s so I cooked it until it was incredibly tender. I asked M to help me with the deboning – being Austrian she was more familiar with dealing with game (indeed she ate the tiny rabbit kidneys) and she did a superb job. I used M’s pasta maker to make the lasagne sheets, after all I’ve tried rolling pasta by hand and it isn’t nearly as exciting as it sounds. And it’s true – pasta made using a pasta roller is incredibly easy if you don’t mind that repetitive action.
And the end result? It was delicious and liked by everyone that tried it. Not everyone did, Adrienne and the boys didn’t want any part of it and ate a beef lasagne but my husband ate two serves and eagerly took the leftover rabbit home his eyes shining with excitement. I will warn those squeamish and who are ardent bunny lovers that below are some rather graphic photos of the fresh rabbit so please direct all complaints to your nearest Government agency 
.
The March 2009 challenge is hosted by Mary of Beans and Caviar, Melinda of Melbourne Larder and Enza of Io Da Grande. They have chosen Lasagne of Emilia-Romagna from The Splendid Table by Lynne Rossetto Kasper as the challenge.
Open Lasagne with Rabbit Ragù
Rabbit Ragù
An original recipe by Not Quite Nigella
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 125g/4ozs bacon diced
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh sage
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 x3-lb/1.5kg rabbit, boned by butcher and meat cut into 1-inch pieces (1 1/2 lb boned) or you can debone it yourself (you can also replace this with veal or pork)
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 medium carrot, chopped
- 1 long stick of celery, chopped
- 1 cup red wine
- 14-oz/400g can whole cherry tomatoes tinned or fresh
- salt and pepper
There’s no way to disguise it…
It’s definitely a bunny…
Yup even upside down it’s still a rabbit.
Deboning rabbit
1. Prepare rabbit if you are deboning it yourself. I always think cooking with bones releases a richer flavour so if you have asked your butcher to debone the rabbbit, ask for the bones and pop them into the pot. Otherwise if you’re deboning it yourself, cut off as much flesh as you can-the legs have the most meat. The ribs have very little meat so you can add those whole. After cooking it for so long the meat will easily come off the bones.
Deboned rabbit meat with some meat left on the bones
Tiny rabbit kidneys
Ragu pot after 10 minutes cooking
2. Heat half of the oil and butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet (2 inches deep) over moderate heat until and add bacon, sage and rosemary and cook for 2 minutes. Add rabbit and cook for a few minutes. It may release some liquid so it may not brown but don’t worry. Add onion, carrot, celery and wine and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 10-15 minutes. Add tomatoes, sea salt, and pepper and simmer, stirring occasionally for about 1 hour to 1.5 hours. Top up with an extra 2-3 cups of water when it runs dry.
After adding cherry tomatoes
3. When the rabbit is very tender, using tongs and a fork remove the extra meat from the bones and start shredding it up in the pot so that it is soft and resembles pulled pork. Be warned, the rabbit does have tiny bones that are sometimes hard to catch just by looking for them. I don’t mind the occasional bone and I think the trade off of the added flavour is more than worth it but you may want to warn your guests. Fatalities and choking are things to be avoided I find.
Spinach Egg Pasta (Pasta Verde)
Preparation: 45 minutes
Makes enough for 6 to 8 first course servings or 4 to 6 main course servings, equivalent to 1 pound (450g) dried boxed pasta.
- 2 jumbo eggs (2 ounces/60g or more)
- 10 ounces (300g) fresh spinach, rinsed dry, and finely chopped; or 6 ounces (170g) frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
- 3&1/2 cups (14 ounces/400g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour (organic stone ground preferred)
Equipment:
- A roomy work surface, 24 to 30 inches deep by 30 to 36 inches (60cm to 77cm deep by 60cm to 92cm). Any smooth surface will do, but marble cools dough slightly, making it less flexible than desired.
- A pastry scraper and a small wooden spoon for blending the dough.
- A pasta maker
- Plastic wrap to wrap the resting dough and to cover rolled-out pasta waiting to be filled. It protects the pasta from drying out too quickly.
- A sharp chef’s knife for cutting pasta sheets.
- Cloth-covered chair backs, broom handles, or specially designed pasta racks found in cookware shops for draping the pasta.
Mixing the dough:
Mound the flour in the center of your work surface and make a well in the middle. Add the eggs and spinach. Use a wooden spoon to beat together the eggs and spinach. Then gradually start incorporating shallow scrapings of flour from the sides of the well into the liquid. As you work more and more flour into the liquid, the well’s sides may collapse. Add water to get a good consistency. Use a pastry scraper to keep the liquids from running off and to incorporate the last bits of flour into the dough. Don’t worry if it looks like a hopelessly rough and messy lump.
Kneading:
With the aid of the scraper to scoop up unruly pieces, start kneading the dough. Once it becomes a cohesive mass, use the scraper to remove any bits of hard flour on the work surface – these will make the dough lumpy. Knead the dough for about 3 minutes. Its consistency should be elastic and a little sticky. If it is too sticky to move easily, knead in a few more tablespoons of flour. Continue kneading about 10 minutes, or until the dough has become satiny, smooth, and very elastic. It will feel alive under your hands. Do not shortcut this step. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, and let it relax at room temperature 30 minutes to 3 hours.
Stretching and Thinning:
If using an extra-long rolling pin work with half the dough at a time. With a regular-length rolling pin, roll out a quarter of the dough at a time and keep the rest of the dough wrapped. Lightly sprinkle a large work surface with flour. The idea is to stretch the dough rather than press down and push it. Shape it into a ball and begin rolling out to form a circle, frequently turning the disc of dough a quarter turn. As it thins outs, start rolling the disc back on the pin a quarter of the way toward the center and stretching it gently sideways by running the palms of your hands over the rolled-up dough from the center of the pin outward. Unroll, turn the disc a quarter turn, and repeat. Do twice more.
Stretch and even out the center of the disc by rolling the dough a quarter of the way back on the pin. Then gently push the rolling pin away from you with one hand while holding the sheet in place on the work surface with the other hand. Repeat three more times, turning the dough a quarter turn each time.
Repeat the two processes as the disc becomes larger and thinner. The goal is a sheet of even thickness. For lasagne, the sheet should be so thin that you can clearly see your hand through it and see colours. Cut into rectangles about 4 by 8 inches (10 x 20 cm). Note: Enza says that transparency is a crucial element of lasagne pasta and the dough should be rolled as thinly as possible. She says this is why her housekeeper has such strong arms!
Rolling using a pasta maker:
OR use a pasta maker by rolling a small piece and starting at the thickest setting (usually 0 or 1) and then keep rolling and reducing the thickness by selecting a higher number until you get a thin sheet. Cut into squares.
Dry the pasta at room temperature and store in a sealed container or bag.
Bechamel Sauce
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) unsalted butter
- 4 tablespoons (2 ounces/60g) all purpose unbleached (plain) flour, organic stone ground preferred
- 2&2/3 cups (approx 570ml) milk
- Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
- Freshly grated nutmeg to taste
Using a medium-sized saucepan, melt the butter over low to medium heat. Sift over the flour, whisk until smooth, and then stir (without stopping) for about 3 minutes. Whisk in the milk a little at a time and keep the mixture smooth. Bring to a slow simmer, and stir 3 to 4 minutes, or until the sauce thickens. Cook, stirring, for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Season with salt, pepper, and a hint of nutmeg.
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56 Comments | Add your own
I love your presentation! I do like bunnies but those pictures don’t look too bunny-esque, more meat-creature-ish. Your little squares of pasta look like marble on the countertop, too!
I love your open lasagne – it’s gorgeous and the rabbit ragu sounds so so good with it! Yummy!
Bravo, Lorraine!!
It looks fabulous and I can practically taste the rabbit ragu through the screen. The colours are so wonderfully vibrant, too.
I may take to making open lasagnes in the future—lovely as the traditional ones are, they take so long!!
Hmm…looks good
We buy rabbits fairly regularly – try Barry Collins on Spofforth Street for someone local, Aldo’s or AC in Leichardt or TJ’s in Balmain all tend to stock them regularly at slightly more reasonable prices.
There are some fantastic french rabbit casserole recipes – Slow cooked with various combinations of cider, prunes, mustard, bacon, thyme and garlic and finished with a little cream to compliment the sweetness of the meat.
what a gorgeous dish! I can’t prepare bunnies…but I can certainly eat ‘em. I’m admiring your red pasta machine!
I love rabbit! These open lasagne are wonderful! A great idea…
Cheers,
Rosa
Yum so unusual! Looks delicious….eh bunnies shmunnies – yes they are cute but the photo doesn’t directly associate itself with a cute fluffy bunny
Funny – I dreamt about rabbits last night. Haha.
My Maltese father has been talking about wanting to cook rabbit recently. The ragu is a great idea. Your open lasagne looks fantastic!
Uh poor bunny rabbit!
But gorgeous lasagne Lorraine – umm spinach *drool*
Too cool, Lorraine! A really interesting twist to the recipe, and I found your bunny photos interesting – I don’t think I have ever seen one.
Gorgeous presentation! I did have to scroll quickly past the bunny though!
My brother is a butcher and avid hunter, so that bunny doesn’t scare me-grew up with the stuff. Your lasagna is gorgeous.
Bow down to you, you very brave soul. I’m not sure I would eat rabbit; I passed the last opportunity to eat rabbit some years ago in a Moscow restaurant. Maybe it’s just my lack of adventure…good for you Lorraine! Well done!
I’ve never made fresh lasagne before and that spinach one looks delicious.
I adore rabbit and ragu too so this is a beautiful dish for me.
Great presentation too darling.
I’ve loved ragu ever since having a papardelle and wild boar ragu dish in Tuscany many years back. I also had the veal ragu at Pendolino’s and it was seriously melt in your mouth. This lasagne looks absolutely delicious.
Well done, it looks fabulous and I’m sure it tasted just as good!
Lorraine, what a beautiful lasagna! I love a good Bechamel Sauce in my lasagna too. I also like the carefree look you did. Very nice!
This looks fabulous. Could you have had the butcher debone the rabbit for you? I don’t fancy doing that job myself … we should probably eat more rabbits in Australia, certainly there’s enough of a population and I’m sure they’re more environmentally friendly if farmed rather than cattle.
heh heh aw poor bunny but those shots of him before being chopped up are gold! does rabbit taste like a cross between chicken and duck?
The pasta machine certainly sounds easier than rolling your own. Amazing job seeking out a rabbit. I suppose it doesn’t look any worse than a chook really.
Once I made it past the first few bunny pictures this looked fabulous – reminded me of catching rabbits on the farm when I was small and watching dad skin them! I love the look of open lasagne and the green pasta makes it look even more appealing, I’ll have to try this (perhaps not with rabbit though!)
The bunny looks great! I always try to take the opportunity to have bunny if it’s on a menu just because it’s not something I would prepare at home…just looks so delicious!
Lorraine, your lasagna dish looks SUPERBLY STUNNING!! What a lot of work!! Your presentation is fenomenal!!
Great job on your challenge. Love the colours of your lasagne and the pictures are fabulous.
I would savor this beauty for fear of not having anymore left!
Brilliant presentation! I kept checking here to see if you had participated or not because I always look forward to your amazing DB creations and photos! Although I won’t eat rabbit (I had one as a kid), it sounds delish and looks outstanding!
Rabbit ragu is an adventure. My father used to cook rabbit when I was little, it’s been a long time…. but I loved it.
although the animal-lover in me cringes at the shot of the skinned bunny, i have to say that your creation is magnificent. bravo!
Mmm, your lasagne looks amazingly good! I love the idea of doing it open-faced!
This sound delicious! great pics.
How nice! the marbled effect of the pasta is awesome. I love cooked rabbit. Especially when cooked in sauce.
Wow! What a fantastic job Lorraine! I shouldn’t be surprised though
I think your rabbit ragu sounds delicious. Your lasagne looks great!
I love this! And I’ve always been curious about rabbit and how to work with it. It’s nice to hear I’m not alone and to see your very informative pictures.
I did find those pictures a bit graphic, but I was warned!
I like your”open styled” presentation of lasagne. Very unusual.
Wow, this looks SO amazing! The rabbit ragu sounds really delicious. Beautiful photos!
Hi anna-Thankyou! Ah good to know, I thought they were very graphic so I thought I should warn people! Haha yes they do!
Hi 5 Star Foodie-Thankyou so much!
Hi Angela-I love the italian colours too, seemed only fitting for lasagne
They’re so much quicker!
Hi Wayfarer -Thanks so much for the recs and for the recipe hints! They sound great.
Hi cakebrain-I thought the same until I tried but I have to say greed and hunger motivated me
Thanks, that was my friend’s purchase!
Hi Rosa-Thankyou very much!
Hi Esz-Haha yes true true. Now if they gave me a fluffy bunny to skin that would be a different matter! What a coincidence!
Hi Lisa-Oh fabulous! I bet he knows some great recipes too!
Thankyou!
Hi Karen-Hehe thanks!
Hi Cakelaw-This was my first time too so it was really eye opening! Thanks!
Hi Barbara-Thanks! Hehe I totally understand
Hi Bethie-Aww you are so lucky! I wish I had a brother that could bring me rabbit… Thanks!
Hi deeba-Sometimes I don’t really enjoy eating ti in restaurants as it can be quite strongly flavoured. But I suppose some ppl really like the taste of game. I like it if it’s mild (which this recipe is). Thankyou!
Hi Christie-Ah well once you do you might never want to buy it again! The ragu was so much like the Pendolino’s onesoft and delicious
Thankyou!
Hi Pimi-Oh wow, that sounds amazing. Wild Boar is so delicious! Hehe cool, so you know exactly what I mean!
Thankyou so much for your kind words!
Hi Chuck-Thankyou! It allows for a bit of culinary expression
Hi SydneyGal-Thanks! Yep they offered to do it but I am a slave to the blog and wanted to take some pics of the whole rabbit to show readers how to debone it (and to know if you could debone it yourself). Luckily my friend came to the rescue and deboned it and I watched. Yes it’s a great meat-like kangaroo in that it’s plentiful!
Hi chocolatesuze-There was no way to hide his/her bunny-ness! Hmmm it’s like the dark meat of chicken and duck, very rich if you know what I mean?
Hi Arwen-Definitely! I rolled my own once and thought I was going to die
Thanks, I didn’t realise it would be so hard! Yes true, I just thought it looked funny as it looked mid-leap 
Hi Paula-Oh wow, you’ve seen them skinned? I think that might scare me a bit. You can do it with veal too!
Hi Reemski-Yes me too, I always order things that I don’t do at home. But this one really is delicious and easy
Hi Sophie-thankyou so much! That’s very sweet of you to say
Hi jo-Thankyou so much!
Hi Nazarina-Hehe luckily there was quite a lot although I think my husband was worried he might not have seconds!
Hi Lisa-Aww shucks thankyou!
Yours looks incredible!
Hi Mary-It is, but one worth it!
Sounds like you have some lovely memories of eating it!
Hi grace-Hehe but you’re not a vegetarian, are you? If so, I had no idea!
Thankyou!
Hi Lauren-Thanks very much, I always wanted to make one so the time was just perfect!
Hi Nurit – Thanks a lot!
Hi snooky dooodle-Yes a nice sauce is so good with rabbit, I can’t wait to cook with it again!
Hi Jen-Aw thanks so much!!
Hi Rebecca-Thankyou very much!
Hi alana-Me too, I was worried we’d have all of these people who didn’t like it
Thankyou very much!
Hi Aparna-Haha yes! I was a bit surprised myself when I opened up the package. Thanks!
Hi sara-Thankyou so much! That’s sweet of you to say
That looks awesome and coincidentally we’re having lasagne tonight for dinner (if the boyf ever gets home to finish it).
I’ve been wanting to make an open lasagne for a while now but haven’t found one recipe that stands out about the others yet. Alas, the boyf is much more traditional in his idea of what makes a good lasagne and even too many veggies ruin it for him. Thus we take turns making lasange (I’d make a different version every time, he sticks with meat, cheese sauce and tomato)
Also, from what I’ve heard, butchers won’t de-bone rabbits for you (because like you said they’re really finicky). Maybe if you were willing to pay a much higher price?
I LOVE the photo of the pasta sheets layed out on the granite bench top. The two patterns contrasting each other are so cool! (sorry very geeky comment)
I remember eating alot of rabbit when I was younger. We’d always get it for free because my cousin used to go hunting, so I’m so surprised that one rabbit can cost as much as $35!! I remember when I was a kid my mum purchased a rabbit from a local butcher, she ended up throwing it away because it smelt funny, and was off. They probably had it siting in the window for ages until my mum walked past!
Loooovvvvveee your open lasagna. Great photos, very mouth-drooling worthy.
Fantastic job.
OOhh I are rabbit, so poor rabbit XP! But it sure does looks tasty hahah mmmm. And hee hee at the egg trying to run away whheeee
Wonderful presentation, and way to challenge yourself by making rabbit ragout!
I really like the way you plated your lasagna- Very classy and neat, but still completely approachable. Wonderful pictures, too!
Beautiful colours in your lasange sheets, I love the open lasagne look too. Is it difficult to cook the sheets?
Fell in love with your blog, it’s fabulous!
Great recipes, beautiful pictures…
Really fun to read and to watch.
Anyway your lasagna looks great, with I could get rabbit meat at my country..
I wish i could have
Nice to meet you,
Inbal (a new Daring baker)
Fantastic presentation of your open lasagne – I love it!
Simply stunning!
I too went for a free fall lasagne, but I have to confess it didn’t look as good as this one! Beautiful job.
http://culinarytravelsofakitchengoddess.wordpress.com
Even my bunny-loving vegetarian self couldn’t help but look under the jump because it sounded so interesting.
Hi Caz-Thankyou! ah intersting, perhaps he wouldn’t like an open lasagne if he is quite particular about his lasagne. Our butcher volunteered to debone it so perhaps it depends on the butcher? They seemed very willing to do so but I think it’s a very “full service” butchers
Hi Maria-Thanks, hehe no not at all. I noticed that too! Aw wyou are so lucky! These are farmed rabbits though so that probably contributes to the price. Oh dear, an off rabbit would probably scar me!
Hi asti-Thankyou very much!
Hi FFichiban -haha no way, but you’re such a meat eater!
Haha yes the little egg didn’t get away though 
Hi Beth-Thankyou very much for your kind words!
Hi Hannah-Thankyou so much!! I was surprised at how easy it was to put together
Hi Anita-Thanks very much
It’s very easy to cook them. I just boiled 2-3 sheets at a time in a large pot and they cook very quickly!
Hi fairy_mi-Thankyou so much, you are too kind
nice to have met you too and welcome to Daring Bakers!
Hi Linda-Thankyou very much!
Hi Dragon-Thanks so much!
Hi George-Thanks but yours looked great! Great job!
Hi Em-eeek was it too bad? I’m not a vegetarian but I found it a bit confronting :S
Wow! Cute idea! I love it!
What an experience you had making this challenge. Just love how you made rabbit ragu.
HI Katie-Thankyou so much!
Hi Audax-I figured if anyone would understand going to a lot of trouble, it would be the Daring Bakers!
You did a beautiful job on your lasagne. I love how thin your pasta turned out.
Natalie @ Gluten a Go Go
Hi Lorraine I was just browsing your recipes and found this rabbit lasagne which is fantastic and just what I need. Rabbits are plentiful where I live (a real pest)and I am trying to source food locally so this recipe gives me another way of cooking rabbit. Thanks for that.
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