#TasteofThursday recipe Saffron Rabbit Cavetelli – Cibo Trattoria

Saffron Rabbit Cavetelli

Serves 4 to 6

INGREDIENTS:

Rabbit:

1 Whole Rabbit (approximately 2 lbs.)
1 Litre Chicken Stock
2 Shallots, Quartered (approximately ¼ cup)
2 Bay Leafs
1 Cinnamon Stick
2 Tablespoon Fennel Seed
1 Piece Star Anise
Salt and Pepper

Cavetelli:

2.5 Cups of Semolina Flour
¾ Cup Hot Water
Pinch of Saffron

Tomato Conserva:

1 Pint of Cherry Tomato (preferably heirloom organic)
250 ml Olive Oil
50 ml Red Wine Vinegar
Half a Cinnamon Stick
2 Bay Leaves

Saffron tea

¼ Cup of Rabbit Stock
½ Tsp Saffron

Let saffron steep in boiled stock to create tea

Additional ingredients:

6 Pitted and Diced Green Olives (preferably Cerignola but any will work)
1 Cup Rainbow Chard Diced Small
50 ml Olive Oil
¼ Cup Stracciatella cheese

METHOD

Rabbit:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Season rabbit with salt and fresh ground black pepper.
3. Roast in the oven until very lightly browned (maximum 12 minutes).
4. While browning rabbit, place remaining ingredients in a pot and begin to bring to a boil.
5. Once cooled slightly and rabbit browned, place everything together in an oven-proof container with a lid and place back into the oven at cook at 375 degrees for approximately three hours.
6. Remove from oven and pull all rabbit meat from the bone and be cautious of all small bones.
7. Strain liquid and reserve stock.
8. Reserve meat for pasta.

Cavetelli:

1. Place saffron in hot water and steep until cooled.
2. In a mixing bowl combine semolina and water/ saffron
3. Remove and kneed on a flat surface for three to five minutes.
4. Let rest 30 minutes.
5. Roll dough out into cylindrical logs.
6. Cut small pieces about a half inch in length.
7. Use your thumb and a fork to press and roll the dough pieces creating a small cave.
8. Place onto a tray dusted with semolina.
9. Cook the cavetelli noodles in a pot of salted boiling water for approximately 20 minutes or until tender
10. Strain and drizzle with a little oil to prevent sticking.

Tomato conserva

1. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place all ingredients in an oven proof container and slow roast until tomato skins just begin to crack.
3. Remove from oven and set aside.

Assembly:

1. Season rainbow chard with salt and pepper and slowly braise in a pan with olive oil.
2. Once fully cooked, add saffron tea, olives and rabbit.
3. Toss in the cavetelli and tomato conserva.
4. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
5. Place in your favorite bowl, top with stracciatella and drizzle with olive oil.
6. Serve immediately.

The latest addition to the talented cucina team at Cibo Trattoria is Josh Gonneau, who cut his teeth in the kitchen and found his home in the hospitality industry at an early age.

Born in Ontario, Josh started on the bottom rung of the restaurant scene as a dishwasher at the age of 17 at hometown eatery The Caledon Inn and quickly climbed the ladder, completing his apprenticeship and graduating to the role of full-time cook only six months later. He went on to work in a variety of back-of-house roles in The Devils Pulpit in Caledon and the National Golf Club of Canada in Woodbridge, ON before moving on to the big city and a stint at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York, where he worked his way up from first cook to chef de partie.

After further honing his skills, Josh moved on in 2007 to commandeer the kitchen as Executive Chef at The Oakville Club for three years before overseeing operations at the Weston Golf and Country Club and The Boulevard Club in Toronto, and then opened his own farm-to-table-centred restaurant called Land and Fire Local Kitchen in his hometown in 2015.

Seeking a change of scenery, Josh relocated to the West Coast in late 2016 and soon found his place on the line in Vancouver at Cibo Trattoria in creating rustic, Italian-inspired cuisine fashioned from ethically sourced, seasonal and locally sourced ingredients prepared in a traditional, from-scratch manner.

 

Twitter: @cibotrattoria

Instagram: @cibotrattoria @josh_gonneau

Facebook: facebook.com/CiboTrattoria

Web: www.cibotrattoria.com