Mar-Apr2016_Final-FlipBook

RABBIT

NEW ORLEANS K-Paul’s

The late Paul Prudhomme Opelousas roots ran deep. At Commander’s Palace, where he was the first American-born executive chef, and later his own restaurant, K-Paul’s, Prudhomme served his native Cajun food to a crowd expecting Creole, revolutionizing the New Orleans dining scene in the process. K-Paul’s deep-fried rabbit with sautéed spinach and Creole mustard sauce is one of Prudhomme’s many culinary legacies. Bayona Order the boudin-stuffed rabbit roulade with smothered greens and Creole sauce. Brigtsen’s Brigtsen makes a gumbo with rabbit and andouille sausage that will make you rethink chicken, and a sesame-crusted, shallow-fried rabbit with Creole mustard sauce that’s a must eat at dinner. Café 615 “DaWabbit,” Gretna This West Bank favorite is nicknamed Da Wabbit in honor of the vintage neon sign that stands guard outside. Thursday’s lunch special is smothered “wabbit” with white beans and rice. Cochon

NewOrleans Food & Spirits, Bucktown, Covington, Metairie & Harvey The long-running Thursday special of brown gravy smothered rabbit with white beans is available at all locations. Patois Executive chef and owner Aaron Burgau created two rabbit dishes for his neighborhood bistro: a pork and rabbit terrine with squash compote and a roasted fennel Mississippi braised rabbit with polenta cake. Petite Grocery Pannéed rabbit with spätetzle, wilted greens, turnip purée and sauce grenobloise (browned butter, capers, parsley and pieces of lemon). Restaurant Cypress, Metairie Chef Stephen Huth serves stewed rabbit with a sauce piquant sauce, andouille-rice pilaf and baby beans. Trenasse Lafayette native Jim Richard is the executive chef at this CBD restaurant, which offers rabbit and shrimp fricassee with white wine, field peas and egg noodles. Richard’s family is originally from Rayne, Louisiana, the frog capital of the world. If you’re not up for rabbit, order the pan seared or Buffalo-style frog legs. SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Southern Fried Rabbit, Columbia Fried rabbit with a choice of two sides is sold from the drive-through. (We like the baby lima beans and white rice with brown gravy.) There’s also a rabbit po-boy served roast beef-style with barbecue sauce or gravy. Yes, Chef! Brigtsen’s Restaurant was just nominated for a 2016 James Beard Award for Best Service. The awards will be announced in May. Frank Brigtsen was named Best Chef Southeast in 1998.

Rabbit with biscuits (dumplings) is cooked and served in a cast iron skillet with a thick sauce of root vegetables, Worcestershire sauce, white wine, butter and herbs. Restaurant co-owner Donald Link serves a rabbit fricassée with pasta at Herbsaint. Coop’s Place Coop’s is justifiably famous for its fried chicken, but don’t miss the boneless rabbit and smoked pork sausage jambalaya with shrimp and tasso. Domenica

Executive Chef Alon Shaya’s rabbit raggu with porcini mushrooms and wide tagliatelle pasta is a must (so is his pizza). Shaya is a partner in the restaurant with Chef John Besh. Two other Besh partner restaurants, Borgne and Luke, offer rabbit specials. Borgne serves a Louisiana rabbit ragout on Wednesdays; Luke a slow-cooked rabbit with sausage and tagliatelle on Saturdays. Gio’s Villa Vancheri, Mandeville Sicilian-born chef Giovanni Vancheri serves a rabbit cacciatore. Jacque-Imo’s Jacques Leonardi is another graduate of Prudhomme’s kitchen. His menu features fried rabbit tenderloin with — what else? — Creole mustard sauce. Kingfish Rabbit is a favorite of Executive Chef Nathan Richard. Try his braised rabbit cavatelli (small pasta shells) with chorizo, white beans and San Marzano tomatoes. Michael’s Restaurant, Slidell A Cajun roux is the secret to this waterfront hot spot’s rabbit smothered with onions, celery and peppers.

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