Roucou Stew Rabbit

The last time I cooked rabbit was a few years ago. I made curry stew rabbit with provisions for Christmas, something off the beaten path of our regular fare of turkey, festive rice etc. I got two pounds of rabbit from my bredren Ayo and was eager to try something new instead of something safe and familiar. This roucou stew rabbit is a recipe is something I came up with and decided to try for the first time and I must say, the result was amazing. The roucou stew rabbit incorporates a great blend of spices with the addition of roucou and bay leaf which gives the dish a real country style flavor. This is definitely a recipe to try!

Ingredients

2 lbs rabbit
4 tbsp roucou
4 bundles shadon beni
10 cloves garlic
2 medium onions chopped
6 pimentos
1 thumb sized piece of ginger
1 scotch bonnet pepper
6 grains whole clove
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp grated nutmeg
1 tsp coriander seeds crushed
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp MSG
1 bay leaf
salt & black pepper to taste
4 tbsp oil

Method

Add garlic, pimentos, ginger and 3 bundles of shadon beni to a food processor then grind.
Add seasoning mixture to rabbit along with salt and black pepper.
Rub seasoning into the rabbit then cover and allow to marinate for at least one hour. Ideally you would want this to sit overnight.
Add oil to a pot then saute onions for 8 minutes on medium/low flame.
Add coriander seeds to the pot then saute for 30 seconds
Add seasoned rabbit, nutmeg, paprika, clove, cinnamon and MSG then allow to cook uncovered, on high heat for 5 minutes
Add roucou, bayleaf, scotch bonnet pepper and 3 cups of water to the pot. Taste for salt and adjust to suit.
Cover and allow to come to a boil then reduce heat and allow to simmer for 45 minutes.
Chop remaining shadon beni then add to the pot.
Serve and enjoy!