Try something new on your barbecue with these rabbit burgers served with watercress mayonnaise, blue cheese and slow-roasted tomatoes.
Gill says: “I can’t understand why we don’t eat more rabbit. It’s one of the best-tasting, most sustainable meats around. Perhaps we can’t help but think of rabbits in an emotional way – which isn’t a bad thing; we should think of all life in an emotional way. But we must also be realistic.
Wild rabbits live a natural existence. They’re abundant and as versatile as chicken – the only culinary difference is that rabbits taste better.”
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Ingredients
- 8 medium tomatoes
- Olive oil for drizzling and frying
- Bunch fresh watercress
- 6 tbsp good quality mayonnaise
- 250g soft blue cheese (we used gorgonzola dolce)
- 8 soft burger buns, halved
For the burgers
- 700-800g rabbit meat, minced (see tip)
- 300g fatty pork belly, minced (see tip)
- ½ small bunch fresh parsley, leaves picked and finely chopped
- ½ small bunch fresh thyme, leaves picked and finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 50g fresh white breadcrumbs
- Good pinch chilli flakes (optional)
- 2 tsp fine sea salt
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Method
- Heat the oven to 150°C/130°C fan/gas 2. Put all the burger ingredients in a large bowl with plenty of black pepper and mix with your hands for 1-2 minutes. This will help them bind and give a good texture. Shape into 8 equal patties, no more than 2cm thick, then wrap in cling film and chill until ready to cook (see Make Ahead).
- Meanwhile, halve the tomatoes and put them cut-side up on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for
1 hour (or longer for a more intense flavour). - Take half the watercress and, discarding any really thick stalks, chop finely with a knife, then mix with the mayonnaise in a small bowl.
- Cook the burgers on a barbecue or in a large, lightly oiled, heavy-based frying pan for 4-5 minutes on each side. When they’re almost ready, crumble the blue cheese onto the burgers (while still on the heat) and
leave to melt for a minute or so. - To serve, put a handful of fresh watercress in each bun, hold in place with a cooked rabbit burger, add a spoonful of watercress mayo and finish with 2 slow-roast tomato halves.
Nutrition
- 720kcals Calories
- 39.9g (14.5g saturated) Fat
- 43.4g Protein
- 45.1g (5g sugars) Carbs
- 3.1g Fibre
- 3.2g Salt
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