Dish of the Week: Rabbit

Where: Equinox, Tosca, The Partisan

My son had been playing with stuffed bunny rabbit at his day care earlier that afternoon, so seeing rabbit porchetta listed as a dinner option gave me a little extra pause. But I knew I had to order it.

Rabbit remains a fairly exotic meat. It’s not likely to be found at many restaurants and certainly something you’re not going to pick up at your local grocery store; protesters objected to Whole Foods’ decision to carry the meat in their markets last year.

When it is found on menus, saucing it up and serving it atop pasta in a ragù is a likely cooking method. Tosca opts for this preparation over scialatielli; a long, thick, square-like strand of noodles. A classic braise, with the meat first pan-seared then set to cook in a moist heat, is another popular option. A prancing bunny is illustrated on the part of the menu that The Partisan showcases their fowl dishes on, along with an entry for rabbit braised in red wine and baked into a pot pie.

The rabbit porchetta I ate was showcased last fall at Todd Gray’s Equinox, a boned-out rabbit stuffed with a forcemeat of its legs mixed with pork sausage, tied up and roasted while wrapped in bacon.

“I like to hearty up the dish,” says Gray, who is more likely to serve rabbit at his restaurant in the spring and fall. “Maybe it’s my Italian training, i’ve always found rabbit as something to be done in the hunters’ style. Coming out of cool weather and going into cool weather.”

He’s been known to serve a trio: with a roasted rack cooked in its own jus, stuffed saddle, and confit leg; as ragù, with homemade papparadelle or tagliatelle, braised; or in his porchetta. During the summer it can hit a lighter note with lentils. On his tasting menus, rabbit finds a sweet spot in a transition from fish into bigger red-meat dishes.

Gray is not sure if the lack of diverse rabbit dishes on menus comes from intimidation from chefs or having clientele receptive to trying new dishes. Chefs have to be careful handling or deboning the little guys because they’re small animals. And venturing beyond the tried and true braise, it’s easy to dry them out, especially if you take it off the bone.

“Roasting rabbit is like roasting chicken or anything on the bone,” Gray advises. “You’re usually guaranteeing a bit more moistness.”

There’s also the fact that diners might not be cool with the thought of dining on Thumper. Maybe that’s best left until after Easter, as Gray is gearing up for his spring selling season.

“I’m getting some calls from my guys in Pennsylvania that their rabbits are almost ready for butchering. Probably on the tenth of April once we get through Easter and the farmers get in gear. Probably with ramps and spring garlic.”

Small Bites

More Restaurants to Open in Shaw
As Shaw continues to explode, two projects were announced this week for the retail space in the new luxury Colonel apartment building at 9th and N Street NW. The team behind Red Hen and Boundary Stone announced plans to open All Purpose, revolving around “breadier” pizzas and other Roman dishes accented with Italian-American classics. Tiffany MacIssac will consult on the dessert program and open a brick and mortar location for her own Buttercream Bakeshop in the building.

New Type of Dining at Renovated Hotel
The Embassy Row Hotel has just completed a $15 million renovation. Did the hotel have a restaurant before? I’m not sure. But if they did, it certainly wasn’t in the consciousness of Dupont Circle diners. The property is now home to Station Kitchen & Cocktails. There is a dedication to local products and a non-traditional way of using their space. The space is a coffee shop in the morning serving locally roasted Compass Coffee and baked goods created in Union Kitchen. In the evening, the Station converts into a space for bottled cocktails and shared plates at communal tables. There’s also a donation program in place to So Others Might Eat.

Green Hat Gin Dinner
Roofer’s Union will host a four-course gin dinner, teaming up with Green Hat Gin. Each course is paired with a cocktail made with one of four gins and a straight-up taste of the gin the cocktail was made from. Chef Marjorie Meek-Bradley is even incorporating gin into at least one of her culinary creations, a gin-cured hamachi with juniper crisp, anise hyssop, and lemon pudding. The dinner is on Tuesday, March 24 and is priced at $65 inclusive of tax and tip.

Spring Wine Fling
A Spring Wine Fling taking place next week will feature wine flights, tastings, and pairing menus across Washington-area restaurants. Central is offering 15 percent off of certain bottles, iCi Urban Bistro a Perrier champagne flight, and Joe’s Seafood, Prime Steak & Stone Crab special by the glass pours from Sonoma wineries. The Restaurant Association of Metropolitan Washington is organizing the promotion.