Succulent Braised Rabbit Pizza Recipe

Directions

• Braised Rabbit
• Rinse meat and pat dry with towel. Rub with olive oil, and then season all sides with salt and pepper.
• Heat 2-3 Tablespoons of olive oil in enamel Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed, oven-safe pot. Brown meat on both sides, over medium-high heat, until a light crust has formed.
• Remove meat from pot and set aside. Melt butter in pot. Add carrot, celery, and onion. Saute until onions begin to turn translucent. Add minced garlic and cook another minute or two.
• Deglaze with white wine by adding the wine to the pot, then scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon to loosen any brown bits. Simmer everything over medium heat until most of the wine has cooked off (about 5 minutes).
• Whisk in the tomato paste and chicken stock.
• Set the meat back into the pot, nestling it atop the liquid and vegetables. The meat should be sitting in some liquid, but not submerged.
• Cover Dutch oven with lid and bake for 45 minutes at 375 degrees F.
• Remove meat from Dutch oven and set aside. Once the meat has cooled some, de-bone and chop meat into bite-sized pieces.
• Pizza Sauce
• Remove thyme and rosemary sprigs from braising liquid.
• Strain liquid to separate liquid from cooked vegetables, making sure to save both.
• Puree the vegetables with immersion blender or food processor.
• Put 1 cup of the braising liquid and all of the pureed vegetables back into the Dutch oven (or large saucepan).
• Heat to a low simmer, then stir in heavy cream and grated Parmesan cheese.
• Simmer on low until sauce has reduced and thickened, stirring regularly. Sauce should have the thickness/consistency of regular pizza sauce.
• Balsamic Glaze
• Combine Balsamic vinegar and browns sugar in small saucepan. Heat to a low simmer.
• Continue simmering on low, stirring regularly, until reduced and thickened. Glaze should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool.
• Caramelized Onions
• Cut onions in half, and then slice into long pieces that are 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch wide.
• Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat.
• Add onions to skillet. Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, then sprinkle on a generous pinch of salt. Stir.
• Reduce heat to medium-low, and cook onions until they are caramelized (around 45 minutes). Stir regularly. Don’t let onions become burnt. Once they are a deep golden color, remove from heat.
• Bacon
• Cut bacon strips in half lengthwise, and then chop into small bite-sized pieces.
• Fry in skillet over medium heat until cooked but not quite crispy.
• Remove from skillet and set aside.
• The Pizza
• Stretch pizza dough to desired size, on metal pizza pan.
• Spread sauce on dough. Use just enough to cover the surface (using too much sauce creates a messy, sloppy pizza).
• Evenly distribute the rabbit meat, bacon, and caramelized onions atop the sauce.
• Pull off small hunks of mozzarella cheese and distribute them evenly atop the pizza.
• Brush exposed edge of pizza crust with a light coating of olive oil.
• Bake for 15-18 minutes at 425 degrees F. Mozzarella should be fully melted, and edges of crust should be golden brown.
• Using a spoon or small squeeze-bottle, lightly drizzle Balsamic glaze over top the pizza in a zigzag or spiral pattern.
• Sprinkle chopped green onion over top the pizza.
• Serve!