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Lapin au Vin

A heavenly French recipe with tender rabbit braised in red wine and stock with bacon, mushrooms, carrots, garlic and onions.

Ingredients

  • 2 Thick Cut Slices of Bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1 Medium Rabbit (Fryer) Pieces
  • Sea Salt and Coarse Ground Black Pepper
  • 1/4 to 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
  • 2 TBSP Unsalted Butter
  • 1 Medium Sweet Onion, rough chopped
  • 1 Small Carrot, rough chopped
  • 1 TBSP Tomato Paste
  • 1 TBSP Brandy
  • 1/2 750 ml Bottle Dry Red Wine
  • 1 Clove Garlic, minced
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 2 tsp Fresh Thyme, chopped
  • 1 TBSP Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped
  • 1 TBSP Better Than Bouillon Chicken Base
  • 1 8oz Pkg Mushrooms, quartered

Directions

  1. Brown Bacon in large oven proof skillet or dutch oven, stirring often. Set crisp bacon aside.
  2. While bacon is rendering it's fat and browning prepare rabbit; trim off extra fat, rinse and pat dry. Dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
  3. Add 1 TBSP of the butter to rendered fat over medium high heat. Once butter has melted add rabbit, sear 3-4 minutes each side turning only once. You should have a deep golden crust. Set rabbit aside.
  4. Pour the cooking fat from the skillet without losing all of the tasty brown goodness on the bottom of the pan. Add the other TBSP of butter, onion, carrot. Saute until the vegetables are beginning to soften. Add tomato paste, garlic and brandy, cook until almost all liquid is cooked out stirring to deglaze the pan.
  5. Add wine, bay leaf, thyme and parsley. Raise heat to high, boil until liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat to simmer. Stir in reserved bacon, stock. Salt & pepper to taste.
  6. Add mushrooms, rabbit and any lost juices to sauce. Return to a simmer. Cover and place in 300 degree oven. Cook for one hour (or until done but still moist), turning half way through cooking time.
  7. Place rabbit on serving tray, cover to keep warm. Bring sauce to a boil to reduce just a bit. Return rabbit to sauce.
  8. Serve over Rice or Parsley Mashed Potatoes.