Salt, ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, Cajun seasoning, and hot
sauce, to taste
Juice of 4 lemons, divided
12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1 (7.3-ounce) jar cocktail onions, drained (about 1 cup)
1 (6-ounce) jar pitted black olives, drained
1 cup sliced green onion (white parts only)
Hot cooked white rice, to serve
Garnish: sliced green onion (green parts only)
Instructions
In a Dutch oven, add rabbits, and cover with chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce heat, and simmer for about 45 minutes. Remove rabbit from stock, and pick meat from bones (should yield about 3 cups). Strain stock, and keep stock hot.
In a large Dutch oven, add oil, and heat over high heat. Once oil begins to shimmer, reduce heat to low. Add flour, and stir with a flat-bladed wooden spoon until combined. Cook, stirring constantly, until a milk chocolate-colored roux forms. Be careful not to let it burn. If you see black specks, start over.
Add yellow onion and garlic to roux, and cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Add bell pepper, celery, and jalapeños, and cook, stirring often, until peppers are softened, about 15 minutes.
Add tomato paste to onion mixture, and stir in; cook for about 5 minutes. Add canned tomatoes and wine, stirring until combined. Add 2 quarts rabbit cooking liquid, 1 ladleful at a time, while stirring. Keep any additional stock on hand in case you want to thin the broth later. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Add bay leaves, and season slightly with salt, black pepper, cayenne, Cajun seasoning, hot sauce, and juice of 2 lemons. Let simmer over low heat, uncovered,
for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasonings.
Add reserved rabbit meat, eggs, cocktail onions, and olives to mixture, and gently stir until combined. If mixture looks too thick, add a little broth. Simmer over low heat for 30 minutes.
Stir white parts of green onion and juice of remaining 2 lemons into mixture. Season to taste. Serve over rice, and garnish with green parts of green onion, if desired.
Notes
*Three cups of shredded meat may be substituted. Chicken, pork, fish, or alligator are all good options.
Recipe by Louisiana Cookin' at https://louisianacookin.com/rabbit-sauce-piquante/