In brief
- Caribbean-style rabbit: rabbit marinated then simmered in a spiced sauce, flambéed with rum.
- Origin: Guadeloupe and Martinique, Creole cuisine of the French Antilles.
- Essential ingredients: rabbit, lime, garlic, onion, Creole spices (cumin, cloves, nutmeg).
- A Sunday stew, served with Creole rice.
Origins and cultural history of Caribbean-style rabbit
In Guadeloupe and Martinique, rabbit is among the meats commonly simmered in Creole sauce, alongside chicken, kid goat and colombo. Its Caribbean-style preparation follows the steps common to many simmered Creole dishes: a marinade of lime, garlic and spices, a seared cooking stage followed by flambéing with rum, and a simmer in sauce until the meat is tender.
This recipe is close to Caribbean colombo in its spices (cumin, coriander, cloves, ginger), but differs from it in the absence of actual colombo powder: the sauce is instead built from the reduced marinade, sometimes thickened at the end of cooking with crème fraîche or coconut milk.
What are the essential ingredients of Caribbean-style rabbit
The base of Caribbean-style rabbit combines the marinated meat with a set of aromatics and spices found in most simmered Creole dishes.
- rabbit cut into pieces
- lime and garlic
- onion
- chilli, cumin, coriander, cloves, ginger and nutmeg, ground
- rum, for flambéing
- crème fraîche or coconut milk, to finish
What to know about Antillean-style rabbit
Antillean-style rabbit is marinated in lime, garlic and Creole spices, then seared, flamed with rum and simmered in sauce until tender. The sauce is built from the reduced marinade and sometimes thickened at the end with crème fraîche or coconut milk. It is a Sunday stew, served with Creole rice.
Frequently asked questions about Caribbean-style rabbit
Does the rabbit need to marinate overnight?
A two-hour marinade in the refrigerator is enough to flavour the meat, but a full night gives a more pronounced result. Rabbit is a fine-textured meat that quickly absorbs the spices and lime of the marinade.
Can this dish be made without alcohol?
Yes. The rum is used for flambéing, a step that flavours the sauce without leaving residual alcohol after combustion, but it is optional. Without flambéing, simply brown the rabbit then deglaze directly with the marinade and a little water.
Where to find the ingredients for Caribbean-style rabbit in France?
NKOSI sells the lime juice, garlic paste and Creole spices for this recipe and ships them from the Paris area within 24 to 72 working hours, to mainland France (2 to 3 working days) and to ten European countries. The minimum order is 39 €: in France, delivery to a pickup point is then free, and home delivery is free from 69 €.
