I’m sure you know that Easter is on the way (Catholic falls on April 5 and Orthodox April 12), and you’re probably planning what to cook, or searching your notes with traditional recipes. I think some of you have a special main course recipe for this occasion, or may be it’s a wide range of recipes. What will you choose this year? An elegant dish or simple&casual? I think, with spring bringing nice and pretty weather, that you’re likely to be in the mood for something hearty and light! 🙂
I’ve always been partial to rabbit; when I’m visiting my parents in Russia I’m always pleased to eat a rabbit stewed in sour cream. It’s always tender and delicious, of course because it’s prepared by my mom. 😀 Today recipe is elegant and great for a special dinner! I’d like you to try rabbit with prunes and thyme, braised in red wine. It requires few ingredients to be transformed into a flavoursome meal! Enjoy!
Braised Rabbit with red wine, prunes and thyme
- Joint the rabbit, wash it and put in a large bowl, fully cover the meat with water, add vinegar if using, then cover with a wrap and leave to marinate for 1-3 hours. It helps to make rabbit meat more tender and get rid of any unpleasant smell.
- Heat the oil and butter in a heavy-bottom pan on a medium-high heat. Add the rabbit pieces and brown each side for 6-8 minutes or until golden colour. Take out the rabbit pieces and place aside. Don’t clean the pan.
- Reduce the heat to medium, add onions, garlic, peppercorns (if using), juniper berries, bay leaf, some thyme leaves and sauté for 3-5 minutes or until onion have softened. Add rabbit, pour over wine and scrape up the bottom of the pan. Bring to boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Fold in prunes and remaining thyme. Season to taste. The liquid should come half way up the rabbit pieces. So, add some water, if needed. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid (keep a small slit) and braise the rabbit for 45 minutes. Now turn the rabbit pieces on the other side, adjust the seasoning, again cover the pan with a lid and braise for further 40-45 minutes. The rabbit should be easily pulling off the bone.
- Serve with sliced boiled/roasted potatoes, or rice. Add a tablespoon of sour creme, if desired.
milkandbun 
Tempting recipe, yet again!
Thank you, Karinna! 🙂
I have not yet been brave enough to try rabbit, but this is just so tempting!! Amazing post….thanks!
I think you may like my new food site….
http://www.sprinkledwithstyle.wordpress.com
(I’ve only just started, so won’t have many posts, but great bloggers like you have inspired me and I cant wait to get going!)
Thanks for stopped by! You may subscribe to my blog as well by clicking “follow”. 🙂 And it’s not very difficult to cook rabbit, you need to start! You can also substitute it with chicken; chicken and prunes are great together too! 🙂
This looks and sounds delicious! Thank you for sharing.
Glad to hear, hope you will find time to make it one day! 🙂
Oh this looks delicious! Here in Northern France, we make a dish of rabbit stew with pruned and beer sauce, but I love the idea of red wine. I bet it tasted fantastic!
It can be cooked with white wine as well. That beer sauce sounds tempting, could you send me a recipe please ? 🙂 [by email or you can write it here] Thanks, Darya!
I love rabbit! And what beautiful photos.
I love this meat, too! Thank you! 🙂
Such beautiful photos Mila of this really lovely dish! Thanks for sharing.
You’re always welcome! Thanks for your nice comment, Margot! Is rabbit sold or popular in Australia?
Wonderful recipe. I only had rabbit once when I lived in Malta and it was delicious. This recipe sounds like it’s pefect for a holiday meal.
Thank you Suzanne! Hope you could get a rabbit and cook it one day! Otherwise, you can sub it with chicken. 🙂
I only cooked rabbit once, it was a Belgian recipe cooked in cherry beer. This recipe sounds delicious, beautiful pictures!
Sounds so tasty! Even thou I don’t like sweet beer, I think it goes perfect in a stewing meat! 🙂
What a great looking dish, Mila! We love rabbit but it’s very difficult to find it in our local stores. Next time, I’m sure going with your recipe! Thank you!
Thanks a lot for your comment, Francesca! And what about your homecountry, is it popular there?
Absolutely! Especially in the Northern Italy. Stefano (who was born in Genoa) has been asking me to make it based on one of his family’s recipes but I have never found rabbit locally so far! 😕
Oh, I do hope you will find a rabbit meat soon and prepare it! 🙂
Rabbit was the food of the poor when I was a child. Wild rabbits were in plague numbers and even the most unskilled hunter could bring home a bagful. I haven’t eaten rabbit for years, you’ve inspired me to change that! Thanks
Wow! That’s interesting to know! May be that time people didn’t know how healthy and dietary rabbit meat is. 🙂
Wow this dish looks fabulous!!
Thanks a lot, Naina! If you can’t find a rabbit meat, try to make it with chicken, will be a little bit different taste but still lovely! 🙂
I was just talking about cooking rabbit today (we were in a valley with a lot of rabbits). What is the secret for keeping it tender?
Hi Daniel! Cooking rabbit in a low heat over a long period of time is one of the safest ideas for a perfect result. 🙂 You can also sear the meat before covering it in a wine, water or stock – for richness.
You can also immerse the meat into water with/without vinegar (as I did) or even into wine, it helps also to get rid of meat’s smell if there was any. Hope it will help you. 🙂
Wow this recipe looks so good. I had rabbit once in a restaurant but I never tried cooking with it. I bet that dish tastes delicious!
Thanks so much for your visit to my blog today Julie’s Lifestyle and leaving me those nice comments on my Easy Baked Chicken recipe that I shared and guested blogged at Sarah’s Kitchen!
Julie
Julie’s Lifestyle
Thank you for visiting, too, Julie! As you can see at the recipe steps – it’s not very complicated to make ‘posh’ dish at your home, and may be even tastier than in a restaurant! 😀
What a delicious and hearty meal! This is making me hungry!
😀 I hope you had something tasty! Thank you for commenting!
You have outdone yourself here. This looks so good. I really love rabbit, but it isn’t popular here and it’s hard to find. I love a stew or exactly how you made this here! I’m keeping this!
I hope you could find the rabbit meat and cook a good stew! 🙂 Otherwise, you should visit me and we can make it! 😀
this is spectacular. so upscale and sophisticated!
Glad to read a nice comment, Kelsey! This dish really tastes super, hope you will give it a chance! Thank you for stopped by! 🙂
I have never had rabbit…this looks delicious as I love the use of prunes and thyme 🙂
It’s a dietetic meat, a bit reminds chicken or even duck. If you would find it – buy it and cook, it’s really delicious if cooked properly! 🙂
Rabbit meat always reminds me of rabbit hunting field trips we went on when I was attending elementary school in Japan. We had rabbit stew at the end of the event. What you have done with it here is exquisite! Mila, you do have an exquisite blog!
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