Rabbit and Wild Mushroom Risotto

Risotto takes patience and attention, but the result is one of the most elegant things you can make with rabbit. The braised meat is pulled from the bone and stirred into creamy Arborio rice with sauteed wild mushrooms and Parmesan. The starch from the rice creates a velvety sauce that clings to every grain. This is the recipe you make when you want to impress someone — or when you just want to eat really, really well.

Ingredients

• 1 whole rabbit, cut into pieces
• 4 cups chicken broth (plus more as needed)
• 1 cup dry white wine (divided)
• 8 oz mixed wild mushrooms (chanterelle, oyster, shiitake), sliced
• 1.5 cups Arborio rice
• 1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp butter (divided)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Season the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the rabbit on all sides. Add 1/2 cup of white wine and 2 cups of chicken broth. Cover and simmer for 45 minutes until tender. Remove the rabbit, pull the meat from the bones, and shred. Reserve the braising liquid.
• In a separate saucepan, combine the reserved braising liquid with the remaining 2 cups of chicken broth. Keep warm over low heat.
• In a large, wide skillet or saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 5 to 6 minutes until golden. Season with salt and set aside.
• In the same pan, add the remaining butter. Cook the onion for 4 minutes until soft. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.
• Add the Arborio rice and stir for 2 minutes until the grains are toasted and translucent around the edges.
• Pour in the remaining 1/2 cup of white wine and stir until absorbed.
• Begin adding the warm broth one ladle at a time, stirring frequently. Wait until each addition is mostly absorbed before adding the next. This process takes about 18 to 20 minutes.
• When the rice is creamy and al dente (tender with a slight bite in the center), stir in the shredded rabbit, sauteed mushrooms, Parmesan, and thyme. Adjust seasoning.
• Serve immediately, garnished with parsley and extra Parmesan.

Tips

Stir frequently but not constantly. You want to agitate the rice enough to release starch, but you don't need to stand over it every second. Stir every 30 to 45 seconds.

Use warm broth. Adding cold broth shocks the rice and slows the cooking. Keeping it warm on the side means consistent temperature and even cooking.

Risotto waits for no one. It starts setting up the moment it comes off heat. Serve it immediately — it should flow slowly across the plate, not sit in a mound.