Best Wine Rabbit Recipes

WHITE WINE-BRAISED RABBIT WITH MUSTARD

Steps:

• Lay rabbit pieces on a baking sheet and season each piece generously with salt and pepper. (If you are using a pepper mill, adjust it for coarse grind.)
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put a deep, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add lard or oil.
• Put 1 cup flour on a wide plate. Dip seasoned rabbit pieces in flour and dust off excess. Gently set them in the hot oil in one layer without crowding; work in batches if necessary. Adjust heat to keep them from browning too quickly. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned.
• Remove browned rabbit from pan and set aside. Add diced onion to fat remaining in pan. Keep heat brisk and cook onions until softened and lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle onions with 2 tablespoons flour and stir until well incorporated, then cook for a minute or so, until mixture starts to smell toasty. Add wine and 1 cup broth, whisking as the sauce thickens. Whisk in remaining broth and the whole-grain mustard and bring to a simmer. Taste for salt and adjust.
• Return browned rabbit pieces to the sauce. Add thyme and sage. Cover pot and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is fork tender. (Alternatively, simmer over low heat, covered, on the stove top, for about the same amount of time.)
• Using tongs, remove rabbit pieces from sauce, set aside, and keep warm. Put saucepan over medium heat and bring contents to a simmer. Whisk in crème fraîche, Dijon mustard and capers and simmer until somewhat thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust.
• Transfer rabbit to a warmed serving bowl and ladle the sauce over. Sprinkle generously with chives and a little freshly ground pepper. Accompany with noodles if desired.

LAPIN A LA BOURGUIGNONNE (RABBIT WITH RED-WINE SAUCE)

Steps:

• Sprinkle the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper.
• Put the salt-pork cubes in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer about one minute. Drain thoroughly.
• Heat the butter in a large, heavy casserole and add the salt-pork pieces. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about three minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring, about two minutes.
• Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, about two minutes. Transfer the onions, mushrooms and salt-pork pieces to a bowl and set aside.
• To the fat remaining in the casserole, add the rabbit pieces in one layer and cook, turning the pieces as necessary, until lightly browned all over, about five minutes. Scatter the mushrooms, onions and salt pork over the rabbit pieces and stir to blend.
• Cook about five minutes and sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper. Add the wine and cloves.
• Tie the parsley, thyme and bay leaf into a bundle and add it. Bring to the boil, cover closely and cook over very low heat about one hour. Remove and discard the herb bunch. Uncover and cook about three minutes to reduce the sauce.

RED-WINE BRAISED RABBIT WITH SAGE POLENTA

Steps:

• In a large bowl stir together flour and salt. Add rabbit and toss to coat. In a heavy kettle heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown rabbit in batches, transferring pieces to a bowl.
• Add onion and remaining tablespoon oil to kettle and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned. Stir in garlic and rosemary and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, wine, and rabbit with any juices accumulated in bowl and simmer, covered, 1 hour, or until rabbit is tender. Remove lid and simmer until sauce is thickened slightly. Stir in parsley.
• Stir sage into warm polenta. Serve polenta topped with rabbit and sauce.
• To make basic polenta:
• In a heavy saucepan bring water and salt to a boil and gradually whisk in cornmeal in a thin stream. Cook polenta over moderately low heat (it should be barely boiling), stirring constantly, until very thick and pulls away from side of pan, about 40 minutes for cornmeal and about 15 minutes 2for instant polenta. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm. Stir polenta just before using. Polenta will keep warm, covered, about 20 minutes. Makes about 3 cups.
• Note: In the traditional method of cooking polenta, forty minutes of constant stirring is required to achieve a lumpless texture and fragrant flavor. However, Italian-food expert Marcella Hazan has developed a method that involves very little stirring during this time. We believe it produces a very good polenta, one nearly as flavorful and smooth as the traditional procedure. To make satisfactory polenta in a real hurry, an imported instant polenta (precooked cornmeal) is available. This cooks in a mere fifteen minutes.

RABBIT IN RED WINE WITH PRUNES

Steps:

• Simmer the prunes over low heat in one cup wine for 20 minutes. Set aside.
• Chop the bacon into half-inch strips. Saute in a large casserole until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.
• Empty out the bacon fat. Add the peanut oil and heat. Dredge the pieces of rabbit lightly with flour and brown them, a few at a time, in the oil. Add the leeks and carrots. Brown lightly, then add the garlic and cook for two minutes, stirring.
• Return the rabbit pieces to the pan. Add the prunes, with their juice, the remaining wine and the chicken stock. Season with thyme and pepper. Simmer, covered, for 20 minutes. Add the bacon and continue cooking for 10 minutes, or until the rabbit is tender. If the stew is too dry, add a little stock or water.

BELGIAN RABBIT WITH PRUNES IN WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• MARINADE: Combine all ingredients for marinade in large plastic bag. Place bag in shallow glass, stainless steel or plastic bowl.
• Remove head from rabbit and cut the rest into 6 pieces. Place in bag with marinade; close top firmly with a twist tie and lay flat in dish. Marinate rabbit pieces, turning bag periodically, for 2 to 4 hours.
• Soak prunes in water while rabbit marinates.
• Remove rabbit from marinade and wipe dry; reserve marinade. Toss meat in flour and reserve on paper towels. Strain marinade, pressing out and reserving all liquid.
• In large heavy saucepan, melt butter, add oil and, over medium high heat, brown rabbit. With slotted spoon, remove rabbit and set aside. Saute onions for 5 minutes; return rabbit to pan and add salt, pepper, wine, strained marinade, prunes and their soaking water. Mix gently but thoroughly to blend all ingredients. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer, partially covered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until rabbit is tender and sauce thickened.
• Taste, adjusting seasoning if desired. Transfer to heated serving bowl and garnish with orange peel. Makes 6 servings.
• Canadian Living.

RABBIT IN A WHITE WINE, BACON, ONION AND MUSHROOM SAUCE

Steps:

• Lightly coat the rabbit pieces in seasoned flour.
• Heat the butter and oil and fry the rabbit pieces until golden brown.
• Remove from the pan and add the tiny onions and bacon to the pan and fry until the onions are coloured.
• Add the wine, water and tomato paste, stirring to combine and lift any brown bits off the bottom of the pan; add the thyme, bayleaf, garlic and season with extra black pepper.
• Return the rabit to the pan.
• Cover the pan and simmer about 1 hour or until the rabbit is tender.
• Meanwhile, toss the mushrooms in a little extra butter and oil for a few minutes.
• Add to the rabbit for the last few minutes of cooking.
• Remove the thyme and bayleaf and serve the rabbit, mushrooms, onions and sauce with chopped parsley sprinkled over.

LAPIN AU VIN – RABBIT STEW IN WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Season the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper, set aside. In a big, heavy-bottomed (preferably cast iron) pot fry bacon golden brown, until it has released its fat. With slotted spoon take out bacon and reserve. Fry meat pieces in the fat on all sides until golden brown. The pieces should fry not cook, so put only as many pieces in the pot as can well fry. When the meat pieces have a nice coulour, take them out onto a plate, cover with tinfoil and keep warm. Pour off most of the fat from the pot. Put the shallots in the pot, stir and scrap up any residues from the bottom (You might want to add 2 fl oz wine at this point). Add garlic, bouquet garni, stir well, then add bacon, rabbit and celery. Stir well. Add stock and as much wine as just covers meat. Braise on medium heat for app. 60-80 minutes, or until meat is tender. After 30 minutes check meat every 10 minutes. The meat should be tender but not overcooked. If necessary, add more wine during cooking. While the rabbit is cooking, wash the mushrooms under cold running water. In a 12-inch saute pan melt butter. Add mushrooms and saute them until golden brown. When the meat is almost done, add mushrooms and parsley. Take out the bouquet garni and discard. If the cooking liquid is to thin when meat is ready, take the meat peices out using a slotted spoon, cover and keep warm. On high heat reduce liquid until it reaches a sauce-like texture. Serve sauce with the meat. You can serve it with boiled new potatoes, or fresh bread, and the wine you used for cooking.

RABBIT IN WHITE WINE AND MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Sprinkle the rabbit pieces,including the liver, with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Bring enough water to the boil to cover the salt pork pieces when they are added.
• Heat the oil in a heavy skillet large enough to hold the rabbit pieces in one layer and add the salt pork cubes. Cook, stirring often, until the pieces are crisp and slightly browned.
• Remove and set aside the salt pork pieces.
• Set the rabbit liver aside. Add the remaining rabbit pieces to the fat in the skillet and cook about five minutes. Remove the rabbit pieces and pour off all the fat from the skillet. Return the rabbit pieces to the skillet. Add the onions, mushrooms and carrots. Add the garlic and stir to redistribute the ingredients. Cook about five minutes.
• Sprinkle with flour and stir so that the ingredients are evenly coated. Add the tomato paste and stir. Add the wine, broth and bring to the boil, stirring from the bottom to prevent sticking. Add the mustard and stir to blend.
• Tie the thyme, bay leaf, parsley and rosemary into a bundle and add it. Cover closely and cook 40 minutes. Add the rabbit liver and the browned pieces of salt pork. Stir. Cover and continue cooking five minutes. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with noodles or mashed potatoes.

WHITE WINE-BRAISED RABBIT OR CHICKEN WITH MUSTARD

Steps:

• Lay rabbit pieces on a baking sheet and season each piece generously with salt and pepper. (If you are using a pepper mill, adjust it for coarse grind.)
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put a deep, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add lard or oil.
• Put 1 cup flour on a wide plate. Dip seasoned rabbit pieces in flour and dust off excess. Gently set them in the hot oil in one layer without crowding; work in batches if necessary. Adjust heat to keep them from browning too quickly. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned.
• Remove browned rabbit from pan and set aside. Add diced onion to fat remaining in pan. Keep heat brisk and cook onions until softened and lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle onions with 2 tablespoons flour and stir until well incorporated, then cook for a minute or so, until mixture starts to smell toasty. Add wine and 1 cup broth, whisking as the sauce thickens. Whisk in remaining broth and the whole-grain mustard and bring to a simmer. Taste for salt and adjust.
• Return browned rabbit pieces to the sauce. Add thyme and sage. Cover pot and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is fork tender. (Alternatively, simmer over low heat, covered, on the stove top, for about the same amount of time.)
• Using tongs, remove rabbit pieces from sauce, set aside, and keep warm. Put saucepan over medium heat and bring contents to a simmer. Whisk in crème fraîche, Dijon mustard and capers and simmer until somewhat thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust.
• Transfer rabbit to a warmed serving bowl and ladle the sauce over. Sprinkle generously with chives and a little freshly ground pepper. Accompany with noodles if desired.

RABBIT FRICASSEE WITH TOMATOES AND WHITE WINE

Steps:

• Season the rabbit with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and brown the rabbit pieces a few at a time. Add the wine, scraping up the cooking juices, sprinkle with thyme, cover and cook over low heat for 20 minutes, turning occasionally. If the sauce gets too dry, add a little water. Simmer the garlic cloves in their skins in water for 20 minutes.
• Add the tomatoes to the rabbit, and cook for another 15 minutes. Test the rabbit for doneness. When it is ready, mash the garlic into the sauce, discarding the skins. Swirl in the butter and serve.

WINE RABBIT

Steps:

• In a large roasting pan put Crisco, onion and celery.
• Add 2 cut up rabbits; brown on both sides.
• Add bay leaves, peppercorns, rosemary, oregano, thyme and salt and pepper.
• Pour in red wine and vinegar; mix in flour.
• Bake at 325° for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or till tender.

RABBIT IN WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large pot, combine all the ingredients for the marinade. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.
• Strain the marinade. Place the rabbit in a deep pan or dish and pour on the marinade. Refrigerate for 24 hours.
• Discard the marinade. Dredge the rabbit in the seasoned flour.
• In a large saute pan, heat the oil or bacon fat. Add the rabbit and cook over medium heat until golden brown, about 10 minutes on each side. Drain off the fat.
• Add the remaining ingredients.
• Simmer, covered, for 1 1/2 hours.

RABBIT CASSEROLE WITH ONIONS AND WINE VINEGAR

Steps:

• Cooking Instructions:.
• The same recipe can be used for hare, with excellent results, by increasing quantities of other ingredients, since hare is much heavier than rabbit. Rabbit or hare should be treated in exactly the same preparatory way, i.e., being soaked in vinegar. (This only applies to wild varieties.) Served with fried potatoes on the side, this is a piquant dish, or if you prefer a milder taste to counterbalance the richness of the rabbit, serve with plain while rice. A green salad is always welcomed as it adds a refreshing note.
• Rinse the rabbit pieces and put them in a salad bowl with the bay leaves. Sprinkle the vinegar over the pieces and let them marinate for at least 2 hours or preferably in the fridge overnight. Heat half of the olive oil in a saucepan, pat the rabbit pieces dry and fry them in it until they are quite brown on both sides. Take out and put on to a plate. When all the rabbit pieces have been fried, put them back into the saucepan along with the garlic cloves, bay leaves, spices, rosemary and the wine. Then add the tomato puree or tomatoes, sugar and the hot water. Season, cover and cook for about 1 hour. In the meantime, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onions. Stir them occasionally, in order to make sure they turn golden all over, for about 15 minutes. Add the contents of the frying pan to the saucepan, and shake it so that the onions spread evenly. Then cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Serve with fried potatoes or plain white rice and a green salad.

RABBIT WITH WHITE WINE AND HERBS

Steps:

• 1 Rinse the rabbit pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. 2 In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the rabbit and brown lightly on all sides, about 15 minutes. 3 Scatter the onion, carrot, celery, and herbs around the rabbit pieces and cook until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes. 4 Add the wine and bring it to a simmer. Cook until most of the liquid is evaporated, about 2 minutes. Add the broth and bring it to a simmer. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pan and cook, turning the rabbit occasionally with tongs, until tender when pierced with a fork, about 30 minutes. 5 Transfer the rabbit to a serving platter. Cover and keep warm. Increase the heat and boil the contents of the skillet until reduced and syrupy, about 2 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. 6 Pour the contents of the pan over the rabbit and serve immediately. From "1,000 Italian Recipes." Copyright 2004 by Michele Scicolone. Used with permission of the publisher, Wiley Publishing, Inc. All Rights Reserved.