Smoked Rabbit Gumbo
 
Prep time
Cook time
Total time
 
Recipe by:
Serves: 6 to 8
Ingredients
  • ¼ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup diced yellow onion
  • 1 cup diced green bell pepper
  • ½ cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1 cup diced celery
  • 1 cup diced tasso or smoked ham
  • 3 cups smoked pork sausage, cut crosswise into bite-size pieces
  • ½ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 2 tablespoons minced garlic
  • 4 sprigs fresh rosemary
  • 1¼ cup dark roux, see recipe here
  • 10 cups dark chicken stock, see recipe here
  • 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Hot sauce
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 whole smoked rabbits, cut into large pieces
  • Filé powder
  • 1 cup diced green onion tops
  • 8 cups cooked Louisiana long-grain white rice, such as Supreme
Instructions
  1. In a large cast-iron pot with a lid over medium-high heat, add the oil. Add the onions, bell peppers, and celery. Sauté all the chopped vegetables until tender, about 5 minutes. Add sausage and continue to sauté. Add parsley, garlic and rosemary sprigs. Add roux and dark chicken stock and stir to combine. Season with cayenne and a dash of hot sauce. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and let cook for 30 minutes.
  2. Uncover and taste the gumbo adding salt and pepper to taste. Add the rabbit pieces. Cover and let simmer for 2 hours longer.
  3. The roux will make this gumbo thick and rich, but not like a stew. If it is too thick, add more stock or water to thin it out to a bisque-like consistency. Remove the rosemary stems, sample the gumbo and correct the seasoning to taste.
  4. Serve the gumbo over rice with a sprinkling of diced green onion tops and a sprinkle of filé powder.
Notes
The prep and cooking times do not include stock making; I urge you to take this step the day before and see what a difference it makes. I like to make this gumbo in my large 20-quart black iron pot that will feed a group of 25 or more. But, for home cooks, I’ve scaled this recipe down (two rabbits) to feed about 6 to 8. If your group is larger, feel free to scale it up. Jarred roux is acceptable; buy Rox's Roux here.
Recipe by Acadiana Table at https://acadianatable.com/?p=4711