When I hunt small animals with my friends Chris and Dave, the wives always want to try something different with the rabbit we bring home. Here is a recipe that the whole family will really enjoy. This rabbit stew recipe is thickened with a slow-cooked dark roux that becomes rabbit stew. The method creates a gourmet flavor without the risks of thickening with raw liver and crème fraîche, the traditional finishing touch for gourmet chefs. Serve this delicious, slightly spicy stew over rice, cheese grits, or polenta. If you prefer the Greek version of stifado, you can remove the spicy ingredients and replace them with cinnamon, juniper berries, and allspice.
Creole Rabbit Stew Recipe
Roux Ingredients:
½ cup of flour
½ cup of oil
Preparation method:
Combine ingredients in a heavy glass, oven-safe bowl, or measuring cup. Use a deep bowl, or the roux will tip over when microwaved. Cook for six minutes. Stir and continue cooking in one minute increments until the roux is very dark in color. The total cooking time can be 12 minutes. Transfer the hot roux to a plate to cool, skimming off any excess oil that may have collected. Alternatively, you can cook the roux over low to medium heat in a cast iron skillet on the stovetop, but you need to stir constantly until the roux darkens, which takes 30 to 45 minutes.
Rabbit Stew Ingredients:
1 large rabbit, cut into 8 pieces
1 chopped onion
½ cup celery, chopped
½ chopped red, yellow or green bell pepper or a mix of all three
3 garlic cloves, minced
4 ounces bacon, chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme, basil, and parsley or 2 tsp. fresh herbs, chopped
1 bay leaf
2 jalapeño peppers, chopped
¼ teaspoon red pepper, white pepper, and black pepper
Salt to taste
12 small new potatoes
1 cup pearl onions, peeled and stemmed
1 cup mushrooms, quartered or sliced
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 cups of chicken broth
1 cup of chopped tomatoes
Preparation method:
– Salt the rabbit pieces and add olive oil to a large pot or brazier.
– Fry the chopped bacon until browned and remove with a slotted spoon.
– Brown the rabbit pieces and remove.
– Add the chopped onions, green bell pepper and celery and cook until lightly caramelized, about 20 minutes.
– Drain the vegetables and oil, deglaze the pan with red wine. – Add the broth, the bacon, the rabbit pieces, the herbs, the mushrooms and the drained vegetables and bring the mixture to a simmer. You can simmer the dish on the stovetop or braise it covered in the oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
– Simmer or bake for 90 minutes. Add the potatoes and cook until tender.
– Remove the rabbit pieces and thicken the rabbit stew with the drained roux until the desired thickness is obtained. You can remove the rabbit meat from the bones if you wish, but the dish looks better if you leave them on.
Serve this rabbit stew recipe by serving one or two pieces of rabbit, vegetables, and sauce over grits, rice, or polenta in a presentation bowl and garnish with a sprig of fresh parsley, chervil, or cilantro. Garlic bread, jalapenos cornbread, or French or Italian crusty bread and green salad make rabbit stew a satisfying meal. This dish has a bit of heat, but you can leave out the red, white, and jalapeno peppers, substituting exotic spices to transform the dish into a classic Greek stifado.