Braised Rabbit

Serves 4-6


  • 1 rabbit, prepared and jointed
  • 2T seasoned flour
  • 2T olive oil
  • 2T butter
  • 115g streaky bacon
  • 1 onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 2 celery sticks trimmed and sliced
  • 1¼ cups chicken stock
  • 1¼ cups dry cider
  • small bunch of parsley leaves coarsely chopped
  • salt and ground pepper


  1. Soak the rabbit in cold salted water for at least two hours, then pat dry with paper towels.  Roll rabbit in seasoned flour.  Preheat the oven to 200ºC.
  2. Heat the oil and butter on the stove top together in a heavy flameproof casserole dish.  Shake off (and keep) any excess flour from the rabbit joints.  Brown rabbit on all sides.  Lift out and set aside.
  3. Add bacon to the casserole dish and cook for a few minutes, then remove and set aside with the rabbit.  Add the vegetables to the casserole dish and cook gently until just colouring, then sprinkle over any remaining seasoned flour to absorb the fat.  Stir over a low heat for 1 minute to cook the flour.  Add the stock and cider, stirring to make a smooth paste.
  4. Return the rabbit and bacon to the casserole dish, and add half the chopped parsley and alight seasoning of salt and pepper.  Mix gently together then cover with a lid and put into the preheated oven.
  5. Cook for 15-20 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 150ºC for about 1½ hours or until tender.  Add the remaining parsley and serve.
  6. Serve with boiled potatoes and cooked green vegetables