Slow-cooked rabbit stew
- Serves 4
- A little tricky
Discover the true taste of autumn with a bowl of rich, dark, boozy rabbit casserole.
Published:
After a long walk in the autumn countryside, this rich, boozy stew – brought to you by BBC Good Food – will warm you from the inside out.
Learn about rabbits and hares in the UK, and discover our recipe for pot-roasted rabbit with olives and mustard.
Ingredients
- Prunes 140g
- Brandy 50ml
- Soft brown sugar 50g
- Rabbits 2, jointed
- Plain flour for dusting
- Vegetable oil 1 tbsp
- Smoked streaky bacon 3 rashers, sliced into thin strip
- Carrots 2, chopped
- Onion 1, chopped
- Celery sticks 2, chopped
- Garlic clove 1, crushed
- Thyme sprigs 2
- Bay leaf 1
- Red wine 150ml, the best you can afford
- Chicken stock 250ml
- Parsley chopped, to serve
- Wild rice to serve
Method
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Step 1
Heat oven to 150ºC/gas mark 2. Put the prunes in a bowl with the brandy and brown sugar, stir, then set aside to soak.
![prunes in a bowl on a dark background. tinting. selective focus]( "prunes in a bowl")
Prunes bring a richness to the dish. /Credit: Getty -
Step 2
Dust the rabbit in the flour. Heat the oil in a large flameproof dish and brown the rabbit all over until golden – you may have to do this in batches. Set the rabbit aside. Add the bacon, vegetables, garlic and herbs to the dish and fry for five minutes until it starts to colour.
![Rabbit meat. /Credit: Getty]( "raw rabbit leg on brown paper")
Rabbit meat. /Credit: Getty -
Step 3
Pour the red wine over the bacon and vegetables, scraping all the goodness off the bottom of the dish. Add the chicken stock, golden rabbit and boozy prunes to the mix, then cover and cook for two hours, stirring from time to time until the rabbit is tender. Serve the slow-cooked rabbit stew with a garnish of parsley and wild rice on the side.
![Rabbit stew a basque with onion, pepper, and parsley]( "Rabbit stew a basque")
Rabbit stew. /Credit: Getty
