Original post: Nov 25th 2009

Hi guys!

In my opinion, this is the best rabbit dish I have ever tasted. Tender braised meat in a  thickened white wine sauce delicately flavoured with onion, marjoram and oregano.  Deceptively easy to prepare, this dish will make you look good; like a seasoned chef. Ha! You see what I did there? 😉  

This is actually my parents’ famed rabbit recipe and everyone that tries it asks for the recipe, every time.

If you’ve never had rabbit, I think it’s safe to say that the flavour is reminiscent of chicken except slightly sweeter and not as dry. Although it’s categorized as red meat, it is lean, light in colour, texture and flavour.  We don’t make rabbit enough;  I guess we just don’t think about it and if you’re anything like me, it’s always chicken, chicken, chicken. Speaking of which, you can actually make this recipe with chicken if the idea of cooking Thumper makes you sad.

Before we begin: Make sure your butcher cuts your rabbit into about 6 pieces or more if you prefer daintier portions.

Feel free to add a few potato cubes to the skillet while the meat simmers. – Actually, I recommend it. Potatoes are always a good idea; they’re magical. They take on all of the delicious flavours and contribute to the creamy texture of the sauce. 

Serves 4

Ingredients 

1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp of salt to add to the flour
1x 2 to 3 pound rabbit cut into about 6 pieces
1 large onion, sliced into thin wedges
1/2 cup of dry white wine
1/2 cup of water
1 tbsp of lemon juice
Salt
1 tbsp Butter
2 tbsp Olive oil
1/2 tsp of dried marjoram, crushed
1/4 tsp of dried oregano, crushed
2 tbsp of snipped Italian, flat leaf parsley
Pepper

Directions

In a plastic resealable bag, combine 1/4 cup of flour, 1 tsp of salt and the pepper. Add rabbit pieces; shake to coat.
In a large skillet (which has a lid. You’ll need it later), heat oil and butter on medium/medium-high heat.
Brown the rabbit. About 5 minutes per side. Remove rabbit pieces from the pan and reserve in a dish.
Add onion slices to the pan and sauté until slightly softened (sweat them)
Add wine to deglaze, scraping the tasty bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it simmer until reduced slightly.
Add water, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp of salt (or to taste), marjoram and oregano to the pan.
Return rabbit to the skillet.

Good to know: At this point, you may find that you have very little liquid. If this is the case, you can add a small amount of water to the pan to help it along but as the meat cooks down, with the cover on,  it will excrete it’s own moisture.

Cover and simmer for 45 min to 1hr. Adding a little water now and again if you find the sauce is too thick.
Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. When it’s cooked and very tender, sprinkle with fresh parsley and season with black pepper.

Enjoy!