Rabbit cooked in red wine (cocotte de lapin au vin rouge)

This recipe for rabbit in red wine is relatively quick – in little more than hour you can be enjoying this rich and flavourful winter favourite. With all the trimmings of a classic stew, this is French cooking at its simplest and best.

• serves

  4

• prep

  15 minutes

• cook

  50 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

Ingredients

• 1.4 kg rabbit, cut into 8 pieces (see Note)
• salt and pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 3 carrots, chopped
• 2 celery stalks, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 5 garlic cloves, peeled
• 4 cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 litre (4 cups) Cabernet Franc (red wine)
• 250 g potatoes, halved
• 150 g butter
• 150 g button mushroom, quartered
• 2 tbsp chopped parsley
• baguette, to serve

Marinating time overnight

You will need to begin this recipe 1 day ahead.

Instructions

Place rabbit, generous pinches of salt and pepper, olive oil, carrot, celery, onion, garlic, cloves, bay leaves, thyme and wine in a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate overnight to marinate.

Remove rabbit from marinade and set aside.

Pour marinade into a hot flameproof cocotte or shallow baking pan over high heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 10 minutes.  Reduce the heat, add potato and cook for another 10 minutes.

Add the rabbit, cover and cook for 15-20 minutes or until cooked.

Remove and reserve solid ingredients, covering to keep warm.

Increase heat to high and cook liquid for 10 minutes or until reduced by half. Add the butter, whisking until it is combined and shiny. Add mushroom and cook for 2 minutes.

Place vegetables and rabbit on serving plates. Pour over red wine sauce. Garnish with parsley and serve with baguette.

Note

• Ask your butcher to cut up the rabbit for you.

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.