Rabbit is an amazing food source that is lean and similar in taste to chicken.
Hunting rabbits is a great way to help property owners control numbers, reduce the impact on the environment and harvest a great food source. Rabbits where introduced to Australia and are classified as a pest. During the depression years, Australia’s rabbit plague proved a cheap food source, “underground mutton” replaced other meats on many tables. If you’re not a hunter, inquire at your local butcher they will often stock rabbit or order some meat in on request.
We like firing up The 14kg Kingaroy Choofer to cook this dish. This compact oven is your ideal companion in a camping situation and great to use in the backyard. The fuel needed to cook a meal is minimal. Build a fire to cover the bottom of the Choofer.
Our favourite timbers to burn are gidgee and ironbark, simply because the coals produced from this wood have constant heating properties and burns longer compared to other timbers. You can use any hardwood timber to cook with, it will all work. The only downfall is that you will require larger amounts of timber to achieve the same results. There is no exact measurement when you relate one wood to another, getting used to how a timber will burn and the amount of heat that each piece will radiate is a matter of trial and error.
Another favourite of ours is the charcoal products. Webber have one called Red Gum. Red Gum infuses the dish you are cooking with light, sweet and smoky flavours. This is an Australian made product. Safari is another charcoal made from an African intruder bush if you like an intense smoke flavour. These products are the closest thing to using real timber. You can purchase 4kg bags at most Barbecue specialist stores. Our last option would be to use briquettes. We recommend you use good quality beads. The original Heat Bead Briquettes are the best.
Our 11” Aussie alloy camp Oven fits perfectly inside The 14kg Choofer. Once you have got your fire going and have a bed of coals, place the oven on the low rack with the lid on. Place the lid on The Choofer. This maintains a constant low heat and is the perfect combination for any slow cooked recipe.
For ingredients and instructions on one of our favourites, Rabbit in honey wheat beer sauce go to recipes/ game and follow the steps to create this slow cooked delight. Cooking on the coals always adds flavour to a dish. You will notice your camp oven dinner will be infused with a subtle hint of smoke. Serve your slow cooked rabbit on a bed of mashed potato and fresh greens and this dish could easily become one of your favourite winter dishes as it has ours.
