Tandoori Rabbit Fillets

Rabbit, sadly, is an under rated meat in Britain but it is often found and eaten in many of the countries top restaurants. All that is needed is a little know how and rabbit can make one of the most delicious meals. The fillet from the saddle of the rabbit is tender, with a texture in between chicken breast meat and pork fillet and only needs to be cooked for a short period of time. While the leg is tougher and is delicious cooked slowly, my favourite way to cook the legs is in a casserole or confit (slowly cooked in goose or duck fat).

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4 Portions

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Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients

Rabbit

8 rabbit fillets (from the saddle)

Marinade

500ml natural yogurt
1 large red chilli finely chopped
1 large green chilli, finely chopped
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoon ground coriander
2 teaspoon ground turmeric
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
3 tbsp tomato paste
Juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
5 cm ginger, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoon coriander finely chopped
3 teaspoon honey
1 tsp maldon salt

Cucumber Raita

1 cucumber, washed and grated
250ml yogurt
3 tablespoon chopped mint
1 pinch of chilli powder
Juice from 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon honey
Salt

To Serve

Pilaf or boiled rice (see recipe)
Naan bread or Papadums

Method

Tandoori marinade: Place all the ingredients in a bowl large enough to hold the rabbit fillets, and mix it together well. Place the fillets in the marinade and coat it well. Cover the bowl and store in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 2 hours.
Cucumber Raita: Grate the unpeeled cucumber on the coarsely and drain on absorbent paper. Mix with the remaining ingredients and season. Place the raita in a bowl and refrigerate it until ready to use.
To Cook: Preheat a grill to its highest temperature, or prepare a BBQ so that is moderately hot.
Place the rabbit on the BBQ or under the grill and cook it for 7-8 minutes on each side. The rabbit is cooked when pierced with a fork its juices run clear. Remove the rabbit from the heat and keep warm until ready to serve.
To Serve: Accompany the rabbit fillets with pilaf or boiled rice, cucumber raiti and naan bread or papadums.