RABBIT MEAT

Rabbit is not traditionally eaten in Uganda, is it? We are more a beef, fish, goat, chicken and pork nation. But rabbit meat is slowly popping up in supermarkets and restaurants. And it is a delight. But if I can offer one piece of advice straight away, it is this. Rabbit meat is really only as good as the chef who prepares it. It’s not the easy, throw into the water and boil and eat meat. You can do that but then you will not have a spread that looks like this.

On one of my journeys around the world, I wound up at African Tribe Hotel in Kabalagala where Chef Nick was doing a rabbit tasting. He made 3 variations of the rabbit. This led one food lover to say that on his next party, instead of buying all the meats in the country, he would try one and make it in different ways.

THE STEW

Think of this as a cousin to a Chinese beef stew. Very vegetable heavy and hot. They will of course match the chilli to your heat liking but I like the chef to work unencumbered by my direction-sometimes. It was wonderfully hot. It had some pineapple in it so the spice mingled well with the sweetness and tanginess of the pineapple. Think sweet and sour.

If you want a moist, more familiar dish, go for the stew. Served with rice and potatoes, this was the winner for many for the night.

THE “LOLLIPOPS”

A close second was these lollipop like rabbit nuggets. Before I go into the taste, I will say that unlike a lot of meats that are coated in batter, it was not soaked in oil. Unlike a lot of those other meats, there was enough flesh. Not just a bit of skin, some ka small meat and then batter. I cannot verify this but I feel like it’s healthier.

Also, may I be so bold as to recommend these lollipops to those who are having a drink and just want a crunchy treat to nibble on?

THE OVEN GRILLED

This is Nyama enjyokye. It will be familiar to us because of the big barbecue scene in the country. Rabbit has a unique taste but it is not overwhelming. The taste is so light that if you have not been told, you might not realise that you are in fact eating rabbit. That means that it is a delight for those who love to marinate. It can be infused with herbs and spices and it will shine.

The health conscious will like rabbit meat because it is low in fat and it is white meat which Doctor Kasenene has some deeper insight on. Those who like a bit of change in diet will be happy to venture into this soon to be not-so-rare meat.

Call 0757366341, Rose Rabbit farm if you want to order some rabbit meat of 5 kilos or more.