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Slow-cooked rabbit stew

This is a true taste of autumn, a big bowl of rich, dark, boozy rabbit casserole

Ingredients

  • 140 g prunes
  • 50 ml brandy
  • 50 g soft brown sugar
  • 2 rabbits jointed
  • plain flour for dusting
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 rashers smoked streaky bacon sliced into thin strips
  • 2 carrots
  • , chopped
  • 1 onion
  • , chopped
  • 2 celery
  • sticks chopped
  • 1 garlic clove crushed
  • 2 thyme
  • sprigs
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 150 ml red wine the best you can afford
  • 250 ml chicken stock
  • chopped parsley
  • and wild rice to serve

Instructions

  1. eat oven to 150C/130C fan/gas 2. Put the prunes in a bowl with the brandy and brown sugar, stir, then set aside to soak.
  2. Dust the rabbit in the flour. Heat the oil in a large flameproof dish and brown the rabbit all over until golden – you may have to do this in batches. Set the rabbit aside. Add the bacon, vegetables, garlic and herbs to the dish and fry for 5 mins until starting to colour.
  3. Pour in the red wine and scrape all the goodness off the bottom of the dish. Add the chicken stock and put the rabbit back in the dish with the boozy prunes, then cover and cook for 2 hrs, stirring occasionally, until the rabbit is totally tender. Serve scattered with parsley and wild rice on the side.