Rabbit Recipes: Ragout de Lapin

This is the first in our collection of some of our favorite recipes for a great rabbit dinner!

First, a bit about our pastured rabbit:

Although somewhat an uncommon meat in the United States, rabbit is a popular meat in much of the rest of the world, especially in Europe.

Rabbit is a very healthy meat. It is lower in fat than turkey, chicken, beef or pork, and has a higher percentage of protein than any of them, too. It is very easy to digest and is often used for people on special diets. Weathertop rabbit is also unique in that our rabbits eat fresh grass every day, resulting in high levels of omega-3 fatty acids in their meat.

A word about cooking your rabbit: As with all pasture-raised meats, you will need to cook rabbit a little "lower and slower" (lower heat and longer time) to prevent it from drying out. Also, because rabbit is so low in fat, it is advisable to cook it in a method using moisture, such as in a sauce, or well-covered.

Enjoy!


RAGOUT DE LAPIN

1 rabbit cut in 8 pieces
Salt and pepper
3 Tbsp peanut oil (or substitute other oil)
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup water
1 "onion garni" (an onion with 2 bay leaves attached to it by 4 whole cloves)

Wash and dry rabbit pieces and season with salt and pepper. Heat oil and butter in frying pan or Dutch oven, add rabbit and brown for 10 minutes on each side. Remove the rabbit pieces from the pan and add the flour. Brown flour and fat together briefly, then add all remaining ingredients, including rabbit pieces. Cover and simmer until the meat is tender and the sauce begins to thicken, about 1 hour.