Rabbit Chasseur with Wild Mushrooms

5 from 6 votes

A classic French dish of rabbit and mushrooms braised with tomato and meat stock.

Prep Time30

Cook Time1

Total Time1 30

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: French

Keyword: Blewit, Fermented wild mushrooms, Lapin, Rabbit, Shaggy Mane

Servings: Servings

Calories: 551kcal

Cost: 20

1 large or medium-sized rabbit with kidneys heart and liver, legs separated, loin/saddle/breast cut into 3-4 two inch pieces
All purpose flour or equivalent, for dredging
Kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tablespoons brandy
1 cup tomato juice or puree
1 cup chicken stock rabbit stock, or hot water in a pinch
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or lard or light olive oil
2 ounces good slab bacon cut into ½ inch pieces, or an equivalent smoked meat product
½ cup or ½ a medium-sized onion small diced
8-16 ounces fresh wild mushrooms left whole if small, quartered or halved if large (I used blewits and shaggy manes here)
1 Tablespoon finely sliced garlic
1 Tablespoon unsalted butter

Remove the front and back legs from the rabbit. Cut the saddle and rib portion into 2-3 inch pieces.
Finely chop the rabbit offal and reserve.

Season the rabbit pieces liberally with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. Add the rabbit pieces to a hot skillet brown deeply in lard on medium-high heat.
Halfway through, remove the rabbit pieces to a paper towel. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the bacon and cook until crisp. Add the sliced garlic to the pan and cook, adding fat as needed until the garlic is lightly browned, and aromatic.
Add the onion, rabbit offal, and mushrooms to the pan. Cook for another 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until lightly browned. Add the thyme and brandy. Add the rabbit pieces, wine, tomatoes, and stock to the pan.
Transfer to the oven and cook at 325 for 45 minutes, covered, or until the meat just moves from the bone stirring from time to time. It should not fall apart.

Remove the rabbit from the pan and keep warm. Finish the sauce by reducing until it's thickened lightly (there will be some evaporation from baking, and you may not need to). Finally whisk in the tablespoon of butter and correcting the seasoning for salt.
Alternately, just serve the rabbit from the pan and let people ladle sauce over their plates. Traditionally you'd probably have this with rice or pasta, but I opted for a simple quick slaw of shaved brussels with lemon and oil.