Stuffed rabbit saddle with gbejna and chickpeas

Stuffed rabbit saddle with gbejna and chickpeas

Ingredients

• 300g rabbit saddle
• 80g sliced guanciale
• 50g gbejna
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery
• 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 300ml red wine
• Pinch salt
• 60g fresh asparagus

Chickpea puree

• 120g chickpeas
• 1 sprig fresh rosemary

Tomato sfinec

• 200g tomato sauce
• ½ onion
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ carrot
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 100g chickpea flour
• 1 egg

Method

1. Heat the oven to a temperature of 175°C. 
2. To make the stuffing mix, slice the cured guanciale, chop the rosemary, and roughly crush the chickpeas with a fork.
3. Grate the gbejna and mix everything together.
4. On a sheet pan, open the boneless rabbit saddle, then take the stuffing mix and spread it all over the saddle of the rabbit and roll it up.
5. In a hot pan seal the stuffed rabbit saddle from all sides until golden brown colour.
6. Add the roughly cut onions, carrots, celery and garlic until nicely browned.
7. Add the red wine.  
8. Place the rabbit and the roughly cut vegetables in a dish, cover with aluminum foil and put it in the oven for 25 mins. 
9. To make the chickpea puree, boil the chickpeas in water with a spring of rosemary for 30 mins, until tender.
10. Blend the cooked chickpeas and gradually add olive oil, salt and butter.
11. Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 1 min, then place in iced water.
12. Drizzled with olive oil and grill on a charcoal grill from both sides.
13. To make the tomato sfinec, heat the olive oil, onion, garlic, carrot, tomato paste, sugar, tomatoes and seasoning in a medium pot and cook on low heat until everything is soft.
14. Blend everything together.
15. Whisk in the chickpea flour and eggs.
16. Then use 2 tablespoons to make a quenelle shape and deep fry in a temperature of 160°C for around 30 seconds.
17. Once the rabbit has rested for at least 10 mins slice and serve with chickpea puree, grilled asparagus and tomato beignet.

This recipe first appeared on Gourmet Today TV, aired on TVM on 3 June, 2016.