Farmhouse Rabbit Stew
A simple country-style rabbit stew or casserole with classic flavours, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and bay, with bacon and wine to round out the sauce.
Unusually for the Italian countryside, we are lucky enough to live in an area of Divieto di Caccia, or a no-hunting zone here in Italy. This means that there are plenty of happy hares and rabbits bouncing around in our fields at dawn and dusk and no hunters and dogs trampling through the forest.
The markets, on the other hand, are full of fresh game, and cute as they are, I can never resist a fresh rabbit to make my rich and comforting Farmhouse Rabbit Stew.
About This Recipe
I like to make a simple country-style rabbit stew or casserole with classic flavours, rosemary, thyme, garlic, and bay, with bacon and wine to round out the sauce. Served with creamy mashed potatoes, this is a warming and comforting meal, though you could remove the bones and use it as a pie filling or stirred through pasta.
Ingredients
To make my rabbit stew recipe, you’ll need the following main ingredients:
- Rabbit: The star of the show! I prefer to buy my rabbit jointed by the butcher as it makes it easier to handle. Depending on the size and age of your rabbit or hare, you may find that it needs a longer cooking time. I start checking at around an hour – when the rabbit is perfectly cooked, the meat will come easily away from the bone.
- Vegetables: I use carrots, onions and garlic to give a lovely, classic stew flavour. You can add swedes, parsnips or celery too. A can of tomatoes rounds out the base flavour of this stew.
- Herbs: Rabbit is a natural partner for Mediterranean herbs like rosemary, thyme, and bay leaves. I also add dried Herbes de Provence to really bump up the flavours.
- Bacon and white wine: These aromatic ingredients give the finished dish body and flavour. If you don’t eat bacon, be sure to add a little extra salt or bouillon powder to compensate.
The complete ingredient list and detailed instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of the page.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Can I use frozen rabbit to make this Farmhouse Rabbit Stew?
Yes, defrost overnight in the fridge, then continue as per the recipe.
Can I make this stew without the wine? I don’t drink alcohol!
Absolutely! Replace the wine with stock and a splash of vinegar to replace the acidity of the wine.
What should I serve with my Farmhouse Rabbit Stew?
I like to serve it with plenty of creamy mashed potatoes, but any of the usual sides will be fine. If you thicken the sauce a little and shred the rabbit from the bones, it makes an excellent pasta sauce with Fresh pappardelle!
Rich and satisfying, Farmhouse Rabbit Stew is perfect for serving on a cold autumn day.
Farmhouse Rabbit Stew Recipe
Farmhouse Rabbit Stew
My country-style Farmhouse Rabbit Stew is a rich and warming casserole filled with classic flavours. If you like, ask your butcher to joint the rabbit for you.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 4 large carrots, sliced thickly
- 3 large onions, in wedges
- 2 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 3 Tbsp plain flour
- ca. 1.25 kg rabbit, jointed into 8 pieces
- 25 g butter
- 100 g bacon, cubed
- 200 ml white wine
- 400 g can of chopped tomatoes
- 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
- a sprig of rosemary
- 3 bay leaves
- sea salt and black pepper
Instructions
- SAUTÉ VEGETABLES: Heat the oven to 220°C / 425°F / Gas 7. Heat two tablespoons of the oil in a large frying pan and cook the onions and carrots gently for 10 minutes until beginning to soften. Add the garlic, cook for a minute longer, then remove from the heat and set aside.
- BROWN RABBIT: Pat the rabbit pieces dry with a paper towel, season well with salt and pepper then dust with the flour. Melt the butter in a heavy-based casserole or dutch oven, add the rabbit and the bacon to the pan then brown the rabbit well on all sides. When the rabbit is well-browned remove from the pan and set aside.
- ADD LIQUIDS: Pour the wine into the pan with 100ml water and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the browned on flavour on the bottom of the pan. Stir through the tomatoes, herbs and bay leaves, bring to a simmer, then add the softened vegetables. Lay the rabbit pieces on top, nestling them in so that they are partially covered. Season well with sea salt and black pepper.
- COOK: Cover the casserole with a tightly fitting lid, then cook in the preheated oven for 1 hour and 20 minutes. Check to see that the rabbit is coming away from the bone, then serve with creamy mashed potatoes. Note: Depending on the age of the rabbit and whether it is wild or farmed, you may need to cook it longer for optimal tenderness.
Notes
If you like, and have time, you can shred the rabbit meat from the bones and add the meat back to the stew before serving. This is a nice way to prepare it for a group dinner to avoid having any small bones in the stew.
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Nutrition
Serving: 1bowl | Calories: 692kcal | Carbohydrates: 26g | Protein: 75g | Fat: 30g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 283mg | Sodium: 544mg | Potassium: 1875mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 10587IU | Vitamin C: 20mg | Calcium: 125mg | Iron: 13mg
Tried this recipe?I’d love to hear how it went! Please leave a review or a star rating and let me know how it was! Use the hashtag #daysofjay on Instagram so I can see your delicious creations.
missing some details. Do I remove the bacon with the rabbit? I did. you also mention tomatoes in the direction but not the ingredients.
Hi B! As per the recipe bacon stays in the pan to become part of the sauce, only the rabbit is removed. You’ll find the can of tomatoes in the ingredient list between the white wine and the Herbes de Provence. Have a great day and happy cooking! J.