Rabbit was once a regular on the UK’s dinner tables; having fallen out of favor for decades, it’s now firmly back on the menu. And there are very good reasons to try it: Rabbit can generally be locally sourced (ask your butcher), it’s a comparatively sustainable source of meat, relatively low in fat and satisfyingly cheap.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 rabbit (about 2 pounds/900 g), cut into portions
- 1 medium onion, finely sliced
- 4 scallions, chopped
- 2 medium celery stalks, chopped
- 2 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 teaspoon capers
- ½ teaspoon fresh thyme leaves
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- 2 bay leaves
- Scant 1 cup/200 ml white wine
- 5 ounces/150 g mushrooms, coarsely chopped
- Scant 1 ounce/25 g dried porcini mushrooms, rehydrated in boiling water for 15 minutes and drained
- 3 medium ripe tomatoes, chopped
- 1 lemon juice and zest
- Salt and cracked black pepper
How to Make It
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Heat the oil in a large ovenproof casserole, season the rabbit, and sauté to brown on all sides.
- Add all the other ingredients except the lemon zest, stir to combine any stickiness from the pan base and bring to a simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and transfer to the oven.
- Cook for 1 hour, or until the rabbit is tender and the sauce has become flavorful and rich. Serve garnished with the lemon zest and pepper.