Rillettes are meat or fish that has been slow-cooked, usually in some sort of fat or oil, pulled or chopped into small pieces and then formed in a terrine mold, pot or jar. They are traditionally made with pork confit but pretty much any type of meat and sometimes fish is used to make them. I used rabbit for it's mild sweet flavor.
I heavily salted two rabbit thighs and let them sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to cure a bit. I then removed the thighs and rinsed them off. I put them in a ceramic baking dish, covered them in pork fat and cooked them for 2.5 hours at 275 degrees. They were removed, allowed to cool at room temperature and then chilled overnight. After being thoroughly chilled, I removed the thighs from the fat and picked all of the meat from the bones. I shredded the meat by hand and then mixed it with salt, pepper and some of the pork fat, which ensures that the rillettes stay together. I placed the meat in a small terrine mold and chilled it for two hours.
Once the rillettes were set up nicely I covered them with the apple gelee. This was made by juicing some fuji apples, adding a little fresh lemon juice so that the juice didn't oxidize. I heated the juice with a little bit of sugar and some white wine til it started boiling. I mixed in some bloomed gelatin, stirred to dissolve it and poured the mixture over the rillettes. I allowed this to set over night.
And finally, the apple mustard was made by cooking some of the fuij apples with garlic, onion, mustard powder and turmeric in cane vinegar and water. Once the apples were very soft the whole mixture was pureed, strained and chilled.
I garnished the plate with some pea shoots, asparagus, crushed pistachios and brandied cherries.
Product:
Organic Pea Greens - Blooming Glen Farm
Organic Asparagus - Culton Organics
Fuji Apples and Cherries - Three Springs Farm
I heavily salted two rabbit thighs and let them sit in the refrigerator for a few hours to cure a bit. I then removed the thighs and rinsed them off. I put them in a ceramic baking dish, covered them in pork fat and cooked them for 2.5 hours at 275 degrees. They were removed, allowed to cool at room temperature and then chilled overnight. After being thoroughly chilled, I removed the thighs from the fat and picked all of the meat from the bones. I shredded the meat by hand and then mixed it with salt, pepper and some of the pork fat, which ensures that the rillettes stay together. I placed the meat in a small terrine mold and chilled it for two hours.
Once the rillettes were set up nicely I covered them with the apple gelee. This was made by juicing some fuji apples, adding a little fresh lemon juice so that the juice didn't oxidize. I heated the juice with a little bit of sugar and some white wine til it started boiling. I mixed in some bloomed gelatin, stirred to dissolve it and poured the mixture over the rillettes. I allowed this to set over night.
And finally, the apple mustard was made by cooking some of the fuij apples with garlic, onion, mustard powder and turmeric in cane vinegar and water. Once the apples were very soft the whole mixture was pureed, strained and chilled.
I garnished the plate with some pea shoots, asparagus, crushed pistachios and brandied cherries.
Product:
Organic Pea Greens - Blooming Glen Farm
Organic Asparagus - Culton Organics
Fuji Apples and Cherries - Three Springs Farm