Best 20 Braised Rabbit Recipes

BRAISED RABBIT

Steps:

• In a large skillet over medium heat, cook rabbit in oil until lightly browned; remove and keep warm. In the same skillet, saute onion until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the broth, thyme, pepper and bay leaf. , Return rabbit to pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes or until meat is tender and a thermometer reads 160°., Remove rabbit to a serving platter. Discard bay leaf. Combine the flour, lemon juice and water until smooth; stir into pan juice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Serve with rabbit.

WHITE WINE-BRAISED RABBIT WITH MUSTARD

Steps:

• Lay rabbit pieces on a baking sheet and season each piece generously with salt and pepper. (If you are using a pepper mill, adjust it for coarse grind.)
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Put a deep, heavy-bottomed, oven-safe saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-high heat and add lard or oil.
• Put 1 cup flour on a wide plate. Dip seasoned rabbit pieces in flour and dust off excess. Gently set them in the hot oil in one layer without crowding; work in batches if necessary. Adjust heat to keep them from browning too quickly. Cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side until nicely browned.
• Remove browned rabbit from pan and set aside. Add diced onion to fat remaining in pan. Keep heat brisk and cook onions until softened and lightly browned, stirring occasionally, about 5 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle onions with 2 tablespoons flour and stir until well incorporated, then cook for a minute or so, until mixture starts to smell toasty. Add wine and 1 cup broth, whisking as the sauce thickens. Whisk in remaining broth and the whole-grain mustard and bring to a simmer. Taste for salt and adjust.
• Return browned rabbit pieces to the sauce. Add thyme and sage. Cover pot and bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until meat is fork tender. (Alternatively, simmer over low heat, covered, on the stove top, for about the same amount of time.)
• Using tongs, remove rabbit pieces from sauce, set aside, and keep warm. Put saucepan over medium heat and bring contents to a simmer. Whisk in crème fraîche, Dijon mustard and capers and simmer until somewhat thickened, about 5 minutes. Taste sauce and adjust.
• Transfer rabbit to a warmed serving bowl and ladle the sauce over. Sprinkle generously with chives and a little freshly ground pepper. Accompany with noodles if desired.

BEER-BRAISED RABBIT (OR CHICKEN) FOR THE CROCK POT

Steps:

• In a crock-pot, place potatoes, carrots and onion.
• Season meat with salt and pepper; brown in oil on all sides and place in crock pot on top of vegetables.
• Combine beer, chili sauce,, brown sugar, and garlic; pour over meat.
• Cover and cook on high heat setting for 3 1/2- 4 hours.
• Remove meat and drain vegetables.
• Measure cooking liquid and add beer, water, or broth to make 1 1/2 cups.
• Put reserved cooking liquid in a saucepan, and return meat and vegetables to the crock pot.
• Mix 1/3 cup water with 3 tbs flour in a gravy shaker or jar and shake until smooth.
• Stir into reserved liquid; cook, stirring constantly until thickened.
• Serve sauce over meat and vegetables, sprinkle with paprika and garnish with parsley if desired.
• Note: This can be baked in an oven-proof casserole rather than a crock-pot.
• Bake at 350°F for approx 1 1/2 hours, or until meat and vegetables are tender.

HERB AND BEER BRAISED RABBIT

Steps:

• Place 1/2 cup flour, salt, and pepper into a plastic bag; toss to mix. Add the rabbit pieces, toss to coat with the flour mixture, and shake off excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat until lightly smoking.
• Sear the rabbit pieces on each side until golden brown, then set aside. Pour in the remaining tablespoon of olive oil and stir in the sliced onions. Cook until the onions have softened, about 2 minutes; then stir in the mushrooms and garlic, cook for an additional 2 minutes. Add the thyme, basil, rosemary, and bay leaves; season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place the browned rabbit pieces into the Dutch oven, and pour in the beer and chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the rabbit is very tender, 25 to 30 minutes.
• Stir 3 tablespoons of flour into the softened butter until smooth. Remove the rabbit from the simmering broth and set aside. Skim any visible fat from the liquid, then whisk in the butter paste. Simmer for 3 or 4 minutes until thickened, then remove the bay leaves, season again with salt and pepper if needed, and stir in the parsley. Serve the thickened sauce with braised rabbit.

BRAISED RABBIT WITH GRAINY MUSTARD SAUCE

Steps:

• Rinse rabbit pieces and remove any fat, then pat dry and divide into 3 batches. Mix together salt and pepper in a small bowl for seasoning rabbit.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.
• Heat a dry 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot. Season first batch of rabbit, then add 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and brown rabbit on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Transfer browned rabbit to a flameproof roasting pan just large enough to hold all 3 batches in 1 layer. Season and brown remaining 2 batches of rabbit in same manner, transferring to roasting pan and adding more oil to skillet between batches if necessary. Reserve skillet.
• Add broth to roasting pan, then cover pan tightly with foil and braise rabbit in oven 15 minutes.
• While rabbit is braising, pour off any fat from skillet, then add onions, garlic, thyme, and 3 tablespoons butter and cook over moderately low heat, stirring and scraping up any brown bits, until onions are softened, about 5 minutes. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• Pour mixture over rabbit and continue to braise, covered tightly, until rabbit is tender when pierced with a fork, 45 minutes to 1 hour more. Transfer rabbit to an ovenproof serving dish and keep warm, covered loosely with foil, in turned-off oven.
• Straddle roasting pan over 2 burners and boil braising liquid until reduced to about 3 1/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup reduced liquid to a bowl and whisk in mustards. Add mustard mixture to reduced liquid in pan, whisking to incorporate. Dissolve cornstarch in water and whisk into sauce, then simmer, whisking, 2 minutes. Add remaining 3 tablespoons butter to sauce and swirl pan until incorporated. Season sauce with salt and pepper and pour over rabbit.
• *Available at butcher shops, specialty foods shops, and some supermarkets (may require special order).

RED-WINE BRAISED RABBIT WITH SAGE POLENTA

Steps:

• In a large bowl stir together flour and salt. Add rabbit and toss to coat. In a heavy kettle heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown rabbit in batches, transferring pieces to a bowl.
• Add onion and remaining tablespoon oil to kettle and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned. Stir in garlic and rosemary and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, wine, and rabbit with any juices accumulated in bowl and simmer, covered, 1 hour, or until rabbit is tender. Remove lid and simmer until sauce is thickened slightly. Stir in parsley.
• Stir sage into warm polenta. Serve polenta topped with rabbit and sauce.
• To make basic polenta:
• In a heavy saucepan bring water and salt to a boil and gradually whisk in cornmeal in a thin stream. Cook polenta over moderately low heat (it should be barely boiling), stirring constantly, until very thick and pulls away from side of pan, about 40 minutes for cornmeal and about 15 minutes 2for instant polenta. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm. Stir polenta just before using. Polenta will keep warm, covered, about 20 minutes. Makes about 3 cups.
• Note: In the traditional method of cooking polenta, forty minutes of constant stirring is required to achieve a lumpless texture and fragrant flavor. However, Italian-food expert Marcella Hazan has developed a method that involves very little stirring during this time. We believe it produces a very good polenta, one nearly as flavorful and smooth as the traditional procedure. To make satisfactory polenta in a real hurry, an imported instant polenta (precooked cornmeal) is available. This cooks in a mere fifteen minutes.

BRAISED RABBIT WITH WILD MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°.
• In a large, heavy skillet, melt the butter over medium heat; add in the rabbit pieces (in batches, if necessary), brown on all sides, and transfer to a plate.
• Add in the onion, mushrooms, and garlic; cook/stir, until the onion is softened, about 5 minutes.
• Add in the wine and continue cooking until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 5 minutes.
• Add in the tomatoes, beef broth, tarragon, and chevril; season with salt and pepper; bring to a boil, and let boil until the sauce begins to thicken, about 5-7 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat.
• Arrange rabbit pieces in a large, greased baking dish, pour the sauce over the top; cover and bake until the rabbit is fork tender and the sauce nicely thickened, 30-35 minutes.

BEST BRAISED RABBIT

Steps:

• Heat the roaster or casserole over moderate heat and cook the bacon, stirring and turning it frequently, until crisp, about 10 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Set the pan with bacon fat aside for a few moments.
• Cut the rabbit into serving pieces. Cut away and discard the belly meat.
• Add the salt, pepper, and flour to a brown paper bag. Add a few rabbit pieces to the bag and shake to coat with flour mixture; repeat with remaining rabbit pieces.
• Preheat the oven to 325°F.
• Heat the reserved bacon fat in the pan over high heat until it sputters.
• Brown the rabbit pieces on all sides, in batches; this should take about 10 minutes. Transfer them to a serving plate.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoon of fat and cook the onions in it until they are soft and translucent. Pour in the vinegar and chicken stock and add the bay leaf. Bring to a boil over high heat, scraping up any browned bits clinging to the bottom and sides of the pan.
• Return the rabbit with juices to the roaster or casserole. Add the drained bacon. Cover the vessel tightly, and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, or until the rabbits are tender but not falling apart.
• Serve the rabbit directly from the roaster or casserole, or arrange the pieces attractively on a heated platter.

BRAISED RABBIT WITH CRACKED OLIVES

Steps:

• Heat oven to 325 degrees. Place rabbit back down on cutting board. Remove any fat from the inside of the rabbit. Cut along the tailbone, keeping the knife against the bone, and detach the thigh. Repeat to cut off the second thigh, starting at the end of the tailbone. Remove liver and kidneys; discard, or save for another use. Cut through the rabbit, below the shoulder blade, to remove the foreleg. Repeat to remove the other foreleg. Turn rabbit over, and cutting along the rib bones on each side, remove loins. Repeat with remaining rabbit. Reserve bones for stock. Wrap loins from top to bottom with pancetta. Set loins aside.
• Season shoulders and legs with salt and pepper and coat lightly with flour. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Place legs and shoulders in pan and cook until brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from Dutch oven and set aside.
• Add butter, onion, celery, and carrot, and cook stirring until beginning to brown, about 10 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add tomato puree and cook 3 minutes. Pour in wine and crushed tomatoes; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced by half, 12 to 14 minutes.
• Add stock, browned rabbit, 1 cup olives with their brine, rosemary sprigs, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cover. Transfer to oven and cook until fork tender, 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove meat from sauce; set aside. Strain sauce through a medium sieve, discarding solids. Return sauce to Dutch oven. Heat sauce on stove until reduced to desired consistency, skimming fat if necessary. Remove meat from reserved shoulders, and discard bones. Return legs and shoulder meat to sauce. Chop remaining 1 cup olives and stir into sauce with chopped rosemary. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
• While the sauce is reducing, heat a medium skillet over high heat, add remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and heat until smoking. Add rabbit loins, and cook until brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer loins to cutting board, and allow to rest for 1 minute before thinly slicing. Add linguine to boiling water, and cook until tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Drain, and transfer to a serving platter. Top with sauce, and surround with slices of loin. Serve immediately.

BRAISED RABBIT WITH PORCINI AND POLENTA

Steps:

• Soak the mushrooms in warm water for a half-hour, then squeeze them dry, discarding all but two tablespoons of the liquid. Heat the butter in a skillet over medium heat; saute the onion, prosciutto and mushrooms until the onion is lightly browned. Add the rabbit and brown on all sides.
• Add the wine, thyme, salt and pepper and cook covered over medium heat for 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, dice the tomatoes and add them to the rabbit. Lower the heat and cook, uncovered for another 30 minutes or until the sauce has thickened somewhat.
• In the meantime, make the polenta. Fill a large pot with three quarts of salted water, add the polenta in a steady stream and cook over medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon until the spoon stands by itself in the center and the polenta pulls away from the sides of the pot. Serve the polenta in large bowls, topped with the rabbit.

BRAISED RABBIT, PORTUGUESE STYLE ("COELHO ESTUFADO")

Steps:

• Cut up the rabbit into pieces (hind legs, front legs, etc.) as you would cut up a whole chicken, into approximately 9 pieces. Place into a large bowl.
• Add the garlic, parsley, bay leaf, piri-piri, salt, pepper and beer (or enough wine to cover the rabbit) to the rabbit. Mix around to combine everything.
• Cover and refrigerate to marinate for 1 day or at least overnight. The longer it marinates, the better it is! (I hate the gamey taste of wild rabbit - I use storebought rabbit).
• Cut up the onion and place into a pot with the olive oil. Saute the onion slightly.
• Add the rabbit a few pieces at a time to brown (careful not to crowd the pot - you want to brown them, not cook them at this point).
• Once all pieces are browned, add the rabbit marinade into the pot as well and enough water to cover the rabbit.
• Bring to a boil, reduce to medium-high heat, cover (leave lid slightly off) and let the rabbit cook for approximately 2 hours, or until tender. Check for salt, pepper, garlic (I add lots because we love it!), little more paprika for colour - all to your taste. Don't let the liquid boil right off - it should end up cooking down to a "gravy". You may need to periodically add some water, but careful you don't add too much too late in the cooking - you don't want it to be swimming in liquid towards the end.
• Once rabbit is cooked, add the rice right to the pot (with the rabbit still in or remove and keep warm), add some additional water/salt/pepper if needed, and cook the rice right in the broth.
• Serve the rabbit over the rice. Enjoy!

ITALIAN BRAISED RABBIT RECIPE - (4.2/5)

Steps:

• Have the rabbit cut up like a chicken, the saddle should be cut into three or four pieces. The saddle is the rounded portion of the back between the shoulder and loin. Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Put a couple of tablespoons of flour into a paper bag. Put the rabbit pieces in the bag, roll the top shut, then shake the bag to evenly coat the rabbit with the flour. Heat the oil in a large, lidded skillet over a medium flame. Add the onions, shallot and carrots and sauté them for a couple of minutes. Remove to a bowl. Put the rabbit pieces in the skillet and brown them all around. Return the vegetables to the pan. Pour in the red wine and the brandy, then add the tomato paste and the can of tomatoes, with the juice. Stir to dissolve the paste into the liquid. Then scatter the herbs around and give everything a good grinding of black pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Cover and put into the oven. After about 20 minutes, take the pan out of the oven and remove the lid. Stir in the chopped up liver and the olives. Put the lid back, then return the pan to the oven. The rabbit should be done in another 20 minutes. This is terrific with pretty much any carb that you like-rice, mashed potatoes, a tubular pasta.

BRAISED RABBIT LEGS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Pat the rabbit legs dry, and season with salt and pepper. Place a large Dutch oven over high heat, and heat oil until shimmering. Sear the rabbit legs until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the shallots to the pan, and sauté until tender but not browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the cornichons, brine and vinegar, raise heat and bring to a simmer. Return the rabbit legs to the pan with any accumulated juices. Add enough chicken stock to come to within about 1/2 inch of covering the legs. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat.
• Cover the pan and bake until the rabbit meat is tender and the leg joint bends easily, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer legs to a plate and keep warm. Skim cornichons and shallots from the sauce and set aside. Return pan to medium-high heat, and boil until sauce is reduced by about half. Whisk in butter a piece at a time, and adjust salt and pepper to taste. Return rabbit, cornichons and shallots to the pan until just reheated. Stir in parsley. To serve, place 2 legs on each plate, and top with some shallots, cornichons and sauce.

ORANGE BRAISED RABBIT

Steps:

• Prepare rabbit Lay the boned saddle skin side down on a clean work surface and season with salt and pepper. Lay fatback strips down the center end to end and then a sprig of rosemary. Season generously with salt and pepper. Wrap the flaps of the saddle over to enclose, and secure with twine.
• Brown rabbit Season rabbit pieces on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the skillet over medium-high heat for 1 minute, then add enough oil to barely coat bottom of pan and heat until shimmering. Cook the rabbit pieces (in batches if necessary to avoid crowding the pan) until well browned, starting with the skin side down and letting them sear before turning (to prevent the meat from tearing). This will take 4 to 5 minutes per side. Reduce heat if the bottom of the pan is getting too dark. (If there are burned bits after all the rabbit has been cooked, deglaze the pan with a little water and discard liquid and bits.)
• Cook aromatics Reduce heat to medium and add the oil, onions, and garlic. Lightly season with salt and pepper, if desired. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 2 minutes, then stir in the red pepper flakes and cinnamon. Continue cooking and stirring until onions are translucent, about 3 minutes more.
• Braise rabbit Heat oven to 200°F. Deglaze pan with the wine, scraping up any brown bits from bottom, and continue boiling until the liquid is slightly reduced, about 1 minute. Stir in the orange zest and juice, olives, and remaining sprig rosemary. Arrange the rabbit pieces skin side up in a single layer (they should fit snugly). Bring to a boil, then lower the heat to a simmer. Cover tightly and cook until the saddle is just cooked through, about 30 minutes. Transfer saddle to an ovenproof platter, cover and keep warm in the oven. Continue cooking legs until very tender, with meat almost falling off the bone, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Transfer legs to the platter.
• Finish sauce Boil the braising liquid in the pan until it thickens and turns syrupy, 6 to 7 minutes.
• Serve Remove the rosemary sprig from the sauce and from the saddle; discard. Slice saddle piece crosswise into 1-inch pieces. Arrange one of the legs with a couple of saddle slices on each plate, then spoon some of the olives, onions, and sauce over the rabbit. Garnish with orange wedges.
• Equipment
• A large straight-sided skillet (with a 3-quart capacity) will be large enough to hold all of the ingredients for braising. Make sure it has a tight-fitting lid, as rabbit (especially the loin) is particularly prone to drying out. You can also use a Dutch oven.
• Ingredients
• Fresh rabbit can be found at butcher shops and some specialty markets; call ahead to order, since it might not always be in demand, and have the butcher fabricate it for you and bone the saddle.
• This dish can be made with 3 pounds of bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (in which case you wouldn't need the extra rosemary sprigs or fatback). The cooking time should be about the same.
• Fatback, or salted pork fat, is available from most butchers; pancetta can be substituted. You can leave it out, but the rabbit won't be as flavorful.

BEER-BRAISED RABBIT (OR CHICKEN) FOR THE CROCK POT RECIPE

Steps:

• 1. In a crock-pot, place potatoes, carrots and onion. 2. Season meat with salt and pepper; brown in oil on all sides and place in crock pot on top of vegetables. 3. Combine beer, chili sauce,, brown sugar, and garlic; pour over meat. 4. Cover and cook on high heat setting for 3 1/2- 4 hours. 5. Remove meat and drain vegetables. 6. Measure cooking liquid and add beer, water, or broth to make 1 1/2 cups. 7. Put reserved cooking liquid in a saucepan, and return meat and vegetables to the crock pot. 8. Mix 1/3 cup water with 3 tbs flour in a gravy shaker or jar and shake until smooth. 9. Stir into reserved liquid; cook, stirring constantly until thickened. 10. Serve sauce over meat and vegetables, sprinkle with paprika and garnish with parsley if desired. 11. Note: This can be baked in an oven-proof casserole rather than a crock-pot. 12. Bake at 350°F for approx 1 1/2 hours, or until meat and vegetables are tender.

BRAISED RABBIT WITH CARAMELIZED RADICCHIO AND SALSA VERDE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• In a shallow bowl, combine flour, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper. Dredge the rabbit in the seasoned flour and set aside.
• In a large pot, fry the olive oil, garlic, rosemary and chilli to infuse the oil with their flavours. Remove the rosemary and chilli and set aside. Place the seasoned rabbit pieces in the pan and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, on both sides, until the meat is golden brown. Place the reserved rosemary, whole chillies and garlic back into the pan and add the olives, wine and chicken stock. Place in the oven and cook for 30 minutes.
• When cooked, remove the rabbit from the pot with a slotted spoon and place on a platter. Reduce the remaining liquid on a high heat until it coats the back of the spoon and pour over the rabbit platter. Garnish with parsley. Serve with Caramelized Radicchio and Salsa Verde.
• Slice the radicchio heads in half and saute in 2 tablespoons olive oil over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes, flipping periodically.
• In the meantime blend together the parsley, capers, anchovies, lemon and 1 cup olive oil in a blender. Drizzle the salsa verde over the cooked radicchio and serve with the rabbit.

GUAJILLO CHILE-BRAISED RABBIT TOSTADA

Steps:

• Up to 1 day ahead, prepare rabbit as directed.
• To serve tostadas, heat 2 inches of oil in a frying pan to 360 degrees F. Fry tortillas, 1 at a time, until crispy, about 2 minutes (do not fold tortilla). Drain on paper towels and set aside.
• In a saucepan, heat the rabbit in the reserved braising juices. Put a fried tortilla on each plate and top with a ladleful of black beans. Place the rabbit on top of the beans. In a bowl, lightly dress radishes, cabbage, and cilantro leaves with vinaigrette. Place a small mound of slaw on each tostada; top with salsa. Sprinkle with feta and pumpkinseeds and serve.
• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
• Pull stems off of the chiles, leaving seeds inside. Place chiles in pie plate in a hot oven for 1 to 2 minutes until they smell fragrant to bring out flavor. Place in a bowl and add just enough hot water to cover. Soak for 1 hour. In a blender, puree chiles, oregano, garlic, cumin, and remaining salt and pepper. Strain through a fine sieve into a bowl and set aside.
• In a wide frying pan, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season rabbit pieces with salt and pepper and saute until golden brown on each side, about 7 minutes. Remove and reserve rabbit. Add celery, carrot, and onion to pan and saute until just browned. Add the chile puree and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes to bring out the flavor. Add rabbit pieces to the pan and add just enough stock to cover. Bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until the meat is very tender. Let cool, then strain and reserve both sauce and meat. Pull meat from the bones being very careful not to miss any; discard skin and bones. Chill meat and sauce separately.
• In a large pot, bring black beans to boil in water to cover by 2 inches. Add half the onion, the celery and the bay leaf. Reduce heat and simmer until beans are tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Strain and reserve liquid.
• In same pot, heat olive oil and add bell pepper, remaining onion, garlic, green onions, basil, cilantro, soy sauce, lemon juice, cumin, cardamom, salt, and pepper. When vegetables are tender, add the beans and the reserved cooking liquid and simmer until reduced by half. Beans can be prepared up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. To use, ladle out amount desired and heat until warmed through.
• Combine vinegar, lime juice, cumin, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well. Whisk in the oil until emulsified. Set aside until ready to use.
• Combine all ingredients and mix well, but gently. Do not mash avocados. Use immediately.

BRAISED RABBIT WITH BACON-SAGE DUMPLINGS

Steps:

• Season rabbits generously with salt and pepper. Just before cooking, dust the rabbits with flour and shake to remove excess.
• Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add the shortening and bacon and cook, stirring, until shortening has melted and bacon has cooked halfway and rendered much of its fat. Drain the bacon fat from skillet (strain if necessary) and refrigerate until needed (the chilled fat will be used to make the dumplings). You should have about 5 tablespoons of fat. (If you don't quite have 5 tablespoons, you can add lard or vegetable shortening.)
• Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a large cast-iron Dutch oven. When the oil is very hot, add the rabbit pieces and cook until evenly browned, using tongs to turn rabbit as necessary. When the rabbit is browned, add the onion, celery, carrot, and garlic and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are coated with fat, then add wine. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half. Add the sage, thyme, and chicken stock, return to a boil, reduce heat, cover, and simmer (turning the rabbit once or twice for even cooking) until the meat pulls very easily away from the bone, 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
• While the rabbit braises, prepare the dumplings. Stir together the dry ingredients in a mound on the counter or in a large mixing bowl, then add the chilled bacon fat. Use your fingers to combine dry ingredients with the fat until mixture resembles coarse pebbles. Make a well in the center of the mixture and add the water to the well. Use your fingers to work in the liquid and form dough. Knead briefly, just to combine, then shape the mixture into a ball. On a lightly floured surface, use a rolling pin to roll dough out very thin (a thin pie dough, a little thicker than fettucine) into a rough square shape. Turn dough over once if it starts to stick. Use a knife to slice the dough into 1 by 4-inch pieces, then set aside.
• Bring a large pot of generously salted water to a boil. Add the dumplings and boil 3 to 5 minutes, until tender, and drain. Toss the dumplings with a small amount of oil to keep them from sticking together, then set aside.
• When the rabbit is done cooking, use tongs to transfer it to a baking dish. Strain out braising vegetables and discard, reserving broth. Skim fat from broth and set aside. Using your fingers, separate rabbit meat from bone, feeling carefully for any small bones, and set aside.
• Heat the reserved vegetable fat and vegetable oil in the Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add the onion, parsnips, poblano, carrots, celery, garlic, oregano, bay leaves, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the mustard and wine and cook, stirring, until pan is deglazed and most of the wine has evaporated. Add the reserved stock, scraping up any browned bits. Simmer for about 10 minutes, then add the reserved rabbit meat and simmer an additional 20 minutes.
• To finish the dish, add the cooked dumplings, stir together just until warmed through, and serve. If you are not going to serve the entire dish at once, serve dumplings in a bowl and ladle the hot stew over the top, so the dumplings don't overcook and become mushy.
• When chopping poblanos and other chiles, slice them from the inside (rib side) of the pepper for a cleaner cut. If you have to cut through the thicker skin side it's easier for the knife to slip.

ITALIAN-STYLE BRAISED RABBIT WITH ROSEMARY AND MUSHROOMS

Steps:

• Cut the rabbit into 9 pieces (or ask your butcher to) as follows: with a sharp cleaver, cut the saddle (center portion) into 3 pieces, leaving the kidneys attached. Cut the front portion (front legs) in half through the backbone. Chop each hind leg into 2 pieces. Reserve the liver and heart to sauté as a snack.
• Heat .25 inch of olive oil in a Dutch oven or deep, wide heavy skillet over medium heat. Season the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper, then dust lightly with flour. Lightly brown the rabbit for about 3 minutes on both sides, working in batches. Drain on kitchen towels, then transfer to a baking dish in one layer. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Pour off the used oil, wipe out the pan and add 2 tablespoons fresh oil. Heat to medium-high, add the onions and cook till soft, about 5 minutes. Add the leek, garlic, rosemary and mushrooms. Season generously with salt and pepper, and add red pepper flakes to taste. Cook for 2 minutes more, stirring.
• Add the chopped tomatoes and wine, and let the mixture reduce for 1 minute. Add the broth, bring to a simmer, taste and adjust seasonings.
• Ladle the mixture evenly over the rabbit. Cover the dish, and bake for 1 hour. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

BRAISED RABBIT SMOTHERED WITH ONIONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat 3 tbsp. of the butter and 1 1/2 tbsp. of oil in a large flameproof casserole. Brown the rabbit pieces, in batches, over medium heat, sprinkling them with black pepper. Set them aside. Add the remaining 3 tbsp. butter and 1 1/2 tbsp. oil in the casserole. Add the onion and garlic, and cook over medium-low heat until wilted, about 15 minutes. Sprinkle with the brown sugar, thyme and ginger, stir well. Return the rabbit pieces to the casserole, and stir gently to mix with the onions. Add the wine, chicken and beef stocks, and salt. Bring to a boil. Then cover the casserole, transfer it to the oven,and bake until the meat is tender, 45 minutes to an hour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the rabbit pieces from the casserole and keep warm. Leave the oven on. Place the casserole over low heat and whisk in the mustard (do not boil). Adjust the seasoning and return the rabbit pieces to the casserol, stirring. Transfer the casserole to the oven and bake, uncovered, 10 minutes. Serve sprinkled with chopped parsley.