Rabbit Sausage with Fennel and Wine

Transform your rabbit into something spectacular with this handcrafted preparation. Through traditional sausage making, you'll achieve perfectly seasoned links with authentic flavor that will impress even the most discerning palates.

Tuscan charcuterie meets American small game

Artisanal Sausage Making This preparation creates gourmet sausages using traditional Tuscan techniques adapted for lean rabbit meat, resulting in sophisticated links perfect for multiple applications.

Ingredients (Makes 4-5 lbs sausage)

• 4 lbs rabbit meat (shoulders, legs, trim)
• 1 lb pork fatback, diced cold
• 2 tbsp kosher salt
• 1 tbsp fennel seeds, toasted and ground
• 1 tbsp black pepper, coarse ground
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• Natural hog casings, soaked

Traditional Sausage Technique

1. Meat Preparation:

   • Keep all ingredients very cold throughout
   • Grind rabbit and fat through coarse plate
   • Temperature: Keep below 35°F during processing

2. Seasoning Integration:

   • Mix ground meat with all seasonings
   • Add wine gradually while mixing
   • Mix until mixture becomes sticky (protein extraction)

3. Quality Testing:

   • Form small patty, cook to test seasoning
   • Adjust salt, pepper, fennel as needed
   • Mixture should be well-balanced, aromatic

4. Casing and Linking:

   • Stuff mixture into natural casings
   • Twist into 6" links every few inches
   • Hang overnight in refrigerator for flavor development

Applications: Pasta dishes, pizza topping, grilled as links Storage: Refrigerate 3 days, freeze 6 months