I can’t be the only one who starts craving rabbit at this time of year, right? RIGHT?! Admittedly, not everyone wants something as cute as a lagomorph on their plate. I don’t discriminate. To diners who have never tried that particular meat before, I describe it as a milder, more tender cousin to chicken. Though many classify it as a game meat, there’s nothing gamy about it.
My favorite way to cook rabbit myself (or chicken, if I’m cheaping out), is as fenek moqli, or Maltese fried rabbit. I use a packet labeled “rabbit spice” straight from the Mediterranean island, but if you use enough fresh garlic, along with a bit of anise, cinnamon, and nutmeg, you should be able to approximate the savory fall flavors of the white-wine sauce.
But what about when you don’t feel like cooking? I recommend a trip to Falls Church, where Sichuan stalwart Uncle Liu’s Hot Pot serves up two different rabbit dishes. There’s diced rabbit with spicy sauce among the chef’s specials, but I skipped that this time in favor of the dry pot version of the dish.
After a disappointing plate of wontons in chile oil, I wasn’t prepared for the powerful punch of the sizzling dish. The aroma of cumin is what hit me first, and were it not for the miracle of dental floss, I would probably still be picking the shower of seeds from my teeth. The rabbit is searingly hot in both flavor and temperature, at least if you make sure to request it “Sichuan hot,” as I did. The meal’s numbing spice overwhelms the delicate rabbit a bit, but the fried bone-in pieces are uplifted by fresh bell peppers and cilantro. The best part of eating the dish, though, is the side of rice after it soaks up every bit of the fiery, oily ma la flavor of the sauce.
Still think rabbits are too cute to eat? You’re missing out.
2972 Gallows Rd, Falls ChurchF
Feature image by Alice Levitt
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