Perfect rabbit recipe

Pot-roasted rabbit

Serves 4


Sea salt and black pepper
1 rabbit, jointed
50g unsmoked, diced lardons
450g baby leeks, trimmed weight
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs thyme
225ml dry cider
3 tablespoons crème fraîche
100g unsalted butter, clarified 
Pommes vapeur 
750g potatoes, peeled and cut into even-sized pieces
50g unsalted butter
1 tablespoon chopped parsley


Reserve a tablespoon of the butter and heat the remainder over a medium-high heat in a flameproof casserole. Season the rabbit joints, add them to the casserole and colour. Remove them from the pan, reduce the heat, add the lardons and cook them until they begin to colour.

Finely slice the leeks and add them, with the herbs, to the pan. Cook them for about seven minutes until glossy and lightly coloured. Return the rabbit to the pan and pour the cider over it, bring it to a simmer, then cover and cook over a very low heat for one hour, turning the rabbit halfway through. At the same time, put a pan of salted water on to boil and cook the potatoes.

Remove the rabbit and place it in a warm dish, then stir the crème fraîche into the pan juices and simmer vigorously for a few minutes until they thicken. Drain the potatoes, add the butter and then toss in the parsley.

Heat the reserved clarified butter, slice the rabbit liver and sauté briefly until it’s just firm, then season it. Return the rabbit to the sauce and serve it with the pommes vapeur.