I think I should explain the chopsticks first. It was actually us trying to improvise because my friend didn’t have enough flat wear for all the guests and we decided it looked cute with chopsticks.

On to the rabbit explanation. I usually don’t cook silly rabbits, but to be honest the BEST jambalaya I’ve ever had was at Coop’s Place in New Orleans and it had rabbit in it. So, you know, I wasn’t about to just trade it in for chicken.

Jambalaya can be made with any combination of ingredients. I would keep the andouille sausage to 2 pounds (1 kilo) and add another 2 pounds (1 kilo) of any extras like chicken, shrimp, pork or duck. The stock can also be chicken or shellfish. I made rabbit stock because I had the carcass, but followed the same recipe as chicken stock.

Oh and another thing I’d like to add is that it is nearly impossible to find andouille sausage where I live so I had to substitute for another hot and smoky sausage.

Recipe

Rabbit and Andouille Jambalaya

Yield: 12 servings

2 pounds (1 kilo) andouille sausage or other hot sausage, cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices

1 large onion, chopped

2 bell peppers, chopped

4 garlic cloves, minced

2 large tomatoes, chopped

3 bay leaves

1 teaspoon thyme

1/4 cup minced parsley

2 1/2 quarts stock (homemade or store bought)

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne

6 cups of rice

salt and tabasco sauce to taste

1. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat and add the sausage. Brown well and let the fat render. Scoop the sausage out and reserve.

2. Add the onions and the bell pepper. Cook 10 minutes or until softened. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1 minute and then add the tomatoes, bay leaves, thyme, parsley and stock.

3. Bring to a boil and add the pepper, cayenne and rice. Reduce to a simmer and cover for about 25 minutes until all the liquid is absorbed. Adjust the seasonings.

For the stock:  1-2 rabbit carcass cut into large pieces, 2 peeled carrots, 2 celery, 1 onion, quartered, bunch of parsley, thyme 10 peppercorns and 1-2 bay leaves. Put this in a stock pot or pressure cooker and cover with water. For a regular stock pot, simmer 2 1/2 hours and for pressure cookers 45 minutes on high.