Menu Two

Rabbits are hideously misunderstood in this country, except by a few of us quiet loyalists who persist in our devotion. Every chef I know has a story about trying to put rabbit on the menu—not a good idea for the Easter crowd—and a few brave chefs do prevail. In Europe, rabbits are common in markets and on menus, but it seems Americans would still rather pet them than eat them. Yet rabbits were once popular fare in this country. And farm-raised rabbit is the very model of a perfect meat: mild and sweet, tender and quite lean, high in protein. Rabbits’ all-vegetable diet makes them a very healthy thing to eat.