I had the good fortune to try this dish a few years back in Hungary at a Christening celebration only that it was made with wild boar. It was so delicious I decided this was my favourite game recipes to make next. Wild bore is not easy to come across in Brittain but wild rabbit is plentiful in the season and was delighted to discover as a special of the day at my local butcher, he even jointed for me into neat pieces. This gave me a good opportunity to try the herby bread dumplings too, which often accompany game ragouts/stews. The result was a lovely gourmet meal, that could go down well at dinner parties, special occasions too.
Ingredients
- 1 young wild rabbit jointed
- 80 g smoked streaky bacon/lardons
- 3 medium onions
- 4 medium carrots
- 50 g celeriac
- 250 g prunes
- 1 bottle of dry red wine
- fresh rosemary
- fresh thyme
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tablespoons of flour
- salt, pepper
How to make
- Slowly melt the bacon on moderate heat then add the diced onions and cook till light brown
- Take out the onion then brown the rabbit pieces in the fat.
- Sprinkle the meat with the flour, stir around then add the cooked onions, carrots and celeriac, half of the prunes then pour in the red wine. May retain a glass for yourself! :-)
- Check the seasoning, add the herbs then cook slowly till the rabbit is soft – about an hour.
- Add the rest of the prunes and cook for a further 3-4 minutes
- Tip:the dish may benefit for a bit of sweetening such as a spoonful of blackcurrant jam, honey or a bit of sugar to get the balance of flavours right
- Serve with parsley bread dumplings, mashed potatoes or rice
