Recipes: Rabbit Stew

My cooking skills are being put to the test by my in-laws! Pablo's dad came home with some rabbit and thrust the task of cooking it on me. I've only cooked rabbit once before, and although it didn't come out bad, it wasn't great either. So of course I did some research and found a nice recipe for Rabbit stew. I didn't follow the recipe to a tee, but rather used it as inspiration. I've attached a link to the recipe so you can have a look. I went a bit crazy with the pimentón so the stew had a bit more heat than what I would've liked. Pablo's family isn't used to spice, but in the end the stew was a success among Pablo's family. They even finished two loaves of bread to finish the sauce!

Ingredients

- 1 whole rabbit, you can buy it in one piece and butcher it at home or buy it in pieces. Don't throw anything out!

- rabbit bones (optional if you're making the stock yourself)

- 4 bay leaves

- 1 onion, halved

- 1 onion, roughly chopped

- 3 cloves of garlic

- 1 chicken stock cube

- 1 can chopped tomatoes

- 1 can tomato and pepper sauce

- 3-4 chestnut mushrooms, roughly chopped

- 3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped, keep leaves

- 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped, keep peel

- bacon or pancetta, roughly chopped

- 1 cup flour

- olive oil

- 1 cup red wine

- dried oregano

- pimentón

- 1 stick of cinnamon

- salt and pepper

Instructions

For the stock: In a large pot, place rabbit bones, head from the whole rabbit, 2 bay leaves, halved onion, garlic, and cover with water. Let cook over medium heat. After about 20 minutes add chicken stock cube. After another 20 minutes add celery leave and carrot peels. Let cook for at least another 20 minutes for a full flavored stock. Remove everything you can from the pot and strain. Keep bones and meat.

While the stock cooks, mix flour with some salt and pepper. Cover rabbit pieces in flour. In the same pot that you used for the stock heat some olive oil. When its hot, sear the rabbit pieces. Feel free to add some butter as well. Remove. In the same pot, once again, cook bacon with mushrooms, carrot, celery, and any insides from the rabbit. Remove. Deglaze pot with red wine. *Note: I forgot to sauté the vegetables so I did it in a separate pan.*

Add chopped tomato and tomato/pepper sauce. Sauté. Season with salt, pepper, oregano, pimentón, and add the remaining bay leaves and cinnamon stick. Fell free to add other spices or herbs if you like. These are just the one I had nearby. Add the rabbit stock and bring to a simmer. 

Add rabbit pieces, including the ones from the stock, bacon, vegetables, and rabbit insides. Cover with water. Let simmer for at least 40 minutes on low heat. Add water and season if necessary. Serve!

*Note: You could add some couscous or rice to the pot towards the end*

Below is a link to to the recipe I based myself off.