Rabbit was a regular special menu item at the Columns Hotel, I worked there under Chef Chris Canan and Sous Chef Bryan Coates. Crickhollow Farm out of Jayess, MS would deliver whole rabbits along with fresh herbs and edible flowers on a weekly basis. This was around the years 1986-1988, and way before the farm to table movement became a trendy option for restaurants, Chef Canan was way ahead of his time, and it was one of the reasons I enjoyed working under his wing.

As soon as the rabbits were received we would immediately break them down, meaning, we would separate the forequarter, hindquarter, and loin, then debone all the pieces. Once the butchering was completed the rabbit was then placed into a marinade for several days, up to a week. The marinade was made from white wine, olive oil, fresh garlic, fresh chopped herbs including thyme, rosemary, and basil, some salt and black pepper.

The rabbit was always cooked in the same fashion, once an order came into the kitchen, the marinated rabbit, loin section was carefully removed from the marinade and lightly dusted with seasoned flour, then pan sautéed in clarified butter until browned on both sides, then into the hot oven to finish cooking for about 10-15 minutes.

Each week a new sauce would be rotated for the rabbit, my favorite was the au Poivre sauce, or with pepper sauce. Green peppercorns and pimentos provide the spice and heavy cream makes the sauce.

This recipe, found on pages 96 – 97 in my new cookbook Complete Cajun Cookbook (available at Amazon and local bookstores), is a preview recipe, I hope you like it as much as we do! Click on the recipe page images for a larger view.

Bon appetite!

If you only try one recipe from my new cookbook, this should be the one you pick. The Bread Pudding Soufflé recipe on pages 168-169 in the Complete Cajun Cookbook – 100 Home-Cooked Bayou Classics is some of the best bread pudding you will ever taste. The recipe is copied and displayed below for your preview, 99 other recipes are included in the book. Get yourself a copy and have fun with Cajun cooking.

Perfect for Valentine’s Day, this dessert is sure to please the love of your life!

Seafood Marsh Stew is a perfect soup for these cold and wet winter days, we’ve had more than our typical share of below freezing nights here in the Deep South.

This is another preview recipe from my third cookbook Complete Cajun Cookbook: 100 Home-Cooked Bayou Classics, found in the Soups and Stews Chapter 5 on page 80.

The recipe page is displayed in the image below:

Bon appetite!

My next preview from my new cookbook, Complete Cajun Cookbook, on sale anywhere books are sold, is the Stuffed Artichoke recipe, found in Chapter 8 Vegetables and Salads, on pages 146-147.

Still found on sale at many local grocery store deli sections, and corner markets, stuffed artichokes can also be made at home with this recipe. Variations in the breadcrumb based stuffing include adding small shrimp or lump crabmeat, or both for added flavor profile and protein. A vegan based recipe could replace the Romano and Parmesan cheese with vegan-based cheese, and omit the anchovies and other protein variations.

This recipe has been a favorite, coming from the Italian cuisine influences on Cajun and Creole cooking methods.

The recipe pages from the book are displayed below:

Bon appetite!

My next recipe preview from my new cookbook Complete Cajun Cookbook is the Cabbage Casserole which is on page 153 in the Vegetables and Salads chapter. I’ve also included several more tips or “Lagniappe” below to give you more options, and honestly, recipes other than baking/pastry recipes are a guideline to be adjusted by personal preferences or ingredient availability. The recipe directly from the book is listed below, and be sure to check my tips just under the recipe:

Tips:

• The recipe calls for preheating the oven in the first step, and while this is a general practice with most recipes, I actually recommend you want until you have drained the cabbage in step 2, and to preheat the oven while the cabbage is cooling. This will give you plenty of time to get your oven preheated before placing the casserole in the oven. While most ovens preheat within 10-15 minutes, you many want to adjust your preheat time based on how your oven works, variations in ovens can differ by age, type, and location, all which can affect the preheat time.
• The time given to boil the cabbage should be adjusted depending on how soft and cooked you want your cabbage, very tender and soft, then keep it in the simmer for 30 minutes, slightly al dente, then reduce your boiling time. I’ve actually boiled the cabbage for just 20 minutes and have had great results with the tenderness. Adjust the boil time to your taste and flavor profile.
• Ground turkey, pork, sausage, or lamb are all great meat substations for this recipe, just add it into the recipe as you would be ground beef in step 3.
• Any long grain rice will do, but for this batch I used parboiled rice.

Bon Appetite!