Wild rabbits make a delicious, economical, lean and healthy dish. At just £2.99 each from our butchery, one rabbit easily serves two (or three less hungry) people.
Prunes and bacon are not just a canapé combination (wrap streaky bacon round a prune, spear with a cocktail stick and then bake until the bacon is crisp and serve with drinks) but a delicious addition to rabbit stew.
Serves 2-3
1 rabbit, jointed
A little rapeseed oil and a knob of butter
100g streaky bacon cut into matchstick strips
1 medium onion, stick of celery, carrot, finely chopped
clove of garlic, crushed
1 tbsp plain flour, a teaspoon of mustard
liquid: wine or cider, and stock
herbs: a bayleaf, some parsley stalks, sprig of thyme
12 prunes
Melt the butter with the rapeseed oil in a frying pan. Raise the heat and quickly brown the rabbit all over, then remove to a casserole. Lower the heat to medium and fry the streaky bacon in the frying pan until it begins to crisp, then add the chopped onion, carrot, celery and garlic, and cook until the vegetables are soft, then stir in the flour and the mustard. Add about 250ml liquid in total to the pan: a couple of glasses of wine or cider, or half and half with stock, some seasoning and the herbs, bring to a simmer and pour over the rabbit. The liquid should almost cover the meat. Bring to a simmer, put the lid on and cook very gently until the rabbit is nearly tender (about an hour and a half). Finally add a dozen or so prunes to the stew and cook for a further 30 minutes.
Eat with creamy mash or plain steamed potatoes, and a leafy green vegetable.