Rabbit Stew

One of the local markets carries rabbit and every so often I have to indulge my self and get one.  The last time I made rabbit I made the Roasted rabbit in mustard sauce recipe here.  Today I'm making rabbit stew.  It's hot here in West Virginia but I had a craving and it's been so good for lunch at work.

 This a more of a southern style than the German hasenpfeffer.  If you want that sweet and sour flavor your will need to add a couple of steps at the beginning.

First you need to cut up the rabbit, it's easy to do.  There are some great how-to's on line.  If you want to make hasenpfeffer I would recommend Bon-Appetit's version found here.   Don't forget to fry up the offal for a cooks treat!

Now to start I sliced two pieces of bacon into lardons and got it into the pot with just a touch of olive oil.  FYI bacon browns better if you start it in a cold pan.

Once the bacon is browned take it out of the pan and set aside.  Leave the beautiful rendered bacon fat in to pan.  Salt and pepper the rabbit and brown the heck out of it.  

Do this in batches so you don't end up steaming the rabbit.  Second batch going in.

Once the rabbit is amazingly browned set it aside and get on with the veggies.

I cut up a whole sweet onion, four cloves of garlic and a 1/2 pound of cremini mushroom.  In my excitement I forgot to take a picture of the garlic and mushrooms, my bad!

Saute those bad boys all together, adding more oil if you need to at this point.  When they are nicely browned deglaze with cognac, wine or stock - it's your choice.  I used cognac.  Next sprinkle some flour, a large tablespoon and create a rue with the oil and juices in the pan.  Let the flour get a little color on it so that raw flour flavor is gone.  Up next is stock, I used homemade chicken stock, beef broth and chicken broth.  You will need 4-5 cups.

Let the sauce thicken a bit and then add the rabbit and bacon back in to the sauce.  Cover and let this simmer for 1 1/2 hours.  Meanwhile cut up the other veggies to go in later.  I used carrots, celery, and a rutabaga.  And one large potato.

After an hour and a half add the carrots, celery and rutabaga.  Let those simmer for 15 minutes and then add the potatoes.  Let all of that simmer for 15 minutes.  If the gravy is not as thick as you would like, mix some room temperature and flour together and add to the sauce.  It's easier to do this if the rabbit has been removed.  Add the rabbit back in and heat it back up.

Or you could use a cornstarch slurry as well.

And finally serve it up with noodles, rice or just all on it's own.

Although I'm enjoying this in the heat of the summer it is fabulous in the fall as the leaves change and temperatures start to drop.

EAT WELL MY FRIENDS!!