St Demetrius' Day is almost here, with a festive table that has no lamb and no fight over the price. Rabbit is lean, tender meat that goes soft after about an hour and a half in red wine with dried plums. The dish cooks over low heat and needs no watching, so it suits a Sunday lunch.

2 h 5 minprep 25 min · cooking 1 h 40 min
4 servingsLunch
Mediumdifficulty
610 kcalper serving

Ingredients

  • 1.4 kgrabbit meat in pieces (one whole rabbit)
  • 200 gpitted prunes
  • 2 (300 g)onions
  • 2carrots
  • 3 clovesgarlic
  • 3 tbspcooking oil
  • 2 tbspflour
  • 1 tbsptomato purée
  • 300 mldry red wine
  • 300 mlwarm water
  • 2bay leaves
  • 5black peppercorns
  • 4 sprigsfresh thyme
  • 1 tspsalt
  • 1 handfulfresh parsley

Method

  1. Prepare the meat

    Pat the pieces dry with a paper towel, sprinkle them with the teaspoon of salt and coat them in the flour. Shake off the extra flour so only a thin layer is left.

    rabbit with prunes — Prepare the meat

  2. Brown the rabbit

    Heat the oil in a heavy pot over high heat. Brown the meat in two batches, 3–4 minutes on each side, until golden, then move the pieces to a plate.

    Do not overfill the pot, or the meat will boil instead of browning.

    rabbit with prunes — Brown the rabbit

  3. Soften the vegetables

    Add the onions, cut into half rings, and the carrots, cut into rounds, to the same fat. Cook for 8 minutes over medium heat until the onion turns translucent. Add the chopped garlic and the tomato purée and stir for 1 more minute.

    rabbit with prunes — Soften the vegetables

  4. Pour in the wine

    Add the red wine and scrape the golden bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. Let it bubble for 3 minutes, until the smell of alcohol is gone.

    rabbit with prunes — Pour in the wine

  5. Braise the rabbit

    Return the meat to the pot, pour in the warm water and add the bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme. Cover and cook over low heat for 40 minutes.

    rabbit with prunes — Braise the rabbit

  6. Add the prunes

    Add the prunes and cook, covered, for another 30–35 minutes, until the meat comes easily off the bone when pierced with a fork. If the sauce is thin, take the lid off for the last 5 minutes.

    The prunes go in after the first 40 minutes so they do not fall apart or make the sauce too sweet.

    rabbit with prunes — Add the prunes

  7. Let it rest

    Take the pot off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes so the sauce settles. Remove the thyme and bay leaves and sprinkle with chopped parsley.

    rabbit with prunes — Let it rest

How to serve it

Serve with warm mashed potatoes or boiled rice, which soak up the prune sauce.

Per serving (approximate): 610 kcal · protein 44 g · fat 23 g · carbohydrates 46 g