Five-Spice Rabbit and Ricotta Ravioli & AMÉLIE
“They look happy here.” –Amélie“They better be! This year, they had hare with morel and waffles with jam for the children.”– Raymond Dufayel
Dish: Five-Spice Rabbit and Ricotta Ravioli with Morel Mushrooms and Spring Peas
Movie: Amélie
Recommended Drink Pairings: The Show Must Go On, Honey Bees Run the Earth
Dessert: Mint Chocolate Lavender Moon Cookies, Earl Grey Ice Cream
Similar to how I feel about this Five-Spice Rabbit and Ricotta Ravioli with Morel Mushrooms and Spring Peas dish, I was totally and completely swept off my feet by the whimsical movie that is Amélie. Amélie is a 2001 French romantic comedy, led by charming waitress Amélie (Audrey Tatou), who is more confident than she – or others – gives herself credit for. Having grown up a lonely girl, as an adult Amélie decides to help make others’ lives better. She does this by seeking revenge on bullies and helping heal broken hearts, all through acts of kindness.
Amélie befriends a neighbor, Raymond Dufayel, who keeps to himself and repaints Luncheon of the Boating Party by Pierre-Auguste Renoir every year. As Amélie admires the painting, she notes that the people in the painting look happy. To that, Dufayel responds, “They better be! This year, they had hare with morel and waffles with jam for the children.” The hare and morels bit popped out at me, and I felt a sudden desire to make a delicious rabbit and morel dish.
To give this dish an Asian and Italian spin, we braised the rabbit in five-spice seasoning, added ricotta, and turned it into a ravioli. The result? A hearty meal that would certainly be a true act of kindness if you made it for friends and family.
Five-Spice Rabbit and Ricotta Ravioli with Morels and Spring Peas
Serves: 2 | Cooking time: 2.5 - 3 hours
Ingredients
Five-Spice Rabbit
2 carrots, diced
3 celery stalks, diced
½ onion, sliced
2 cups rabbit meat
2 tablespoons five-spice
1 star anise
Salt (for seasoning)
Pepper (for seasoning)
6-8 morel mushrooms
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups sparkling apple cider
1 cup water
Ravioli Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 eggs
Olive oil
Rabbit Ravioli
1/3 cup ricotta
1 egg, lightly whisked
Rabbit Drizzle and Plating
1 cup stock from the rabbit braise
1/4 cup sparkling apple cider
1 cup snow peas, shelled
Method
Five-Spice Rabbit
In a deep pot, add the carrots, celery, and onion and cook until transparent.
Add the rabbit meat, five-spice, star anise, salt, pepper, and morel mushrooms.
Add the vegetable broth, sparkling apple cider, and water to the pot. Bring to a boil and then simmer for an hour.
Once the rabbit is tender, remove it from the braising broth onto a cooling rack over a sheet tray. Shred the rabbit meat and set aside.
Ravioli Dough
Add the flour into a mound and create a well.
Add the eggs into the middle of the flour.
Using a fork, mix the eggs and flour together until it forms into a dough.
Using your hands, knead the dough for about five minutes, until the dough is no longer tacky.
Form into a ball and cover the outside with olive oil. Wrap in plastic and let it rest for about 30 minutes.
Rabbit Ravioli
In another pot, bring 4 cups of water to a boil. Make sure to add salt so that the water is salty like the ocean.
When the rabbit is shredded, divide the ball in half and roll out each side into a thin rectangle or circle.
Place 1 tablespoon of rabbit and 1 teaspoon of ricotta into a mound on one side of the ravioli dough. Repeat this, making sure there is about an inch of space between each mound.
Use the egg wash and brush it around each mound.
Carefully drape the second half of ravioli dough over the mounds of rabbit and ricotta. Using your fingers, press the dough around each mound. Then, using a circle cutter, cut out each mound.
Use your fingers to press together the dough once more to make sure it's sealed before cooking. (If you want a perfect circle, use the same size circle cutter to re-cut the ravioli.)
Add ravioli to the boiling water and cook for about 3 minutes.
Rabbit Drizzle and Plating
Strain the rabbit braise broth into a pan. Add sparkling apple cider. Cook over low heat until the liquid can coat the back of a spoon.
When plating, place the ravioli onto the plate, add morel mushrooms, peas, and finish with rabbit drizzle.