Rabbit ragu (or try wild boar as a great alternative)

Rabbit is very popular in many European countries and has a very pleasant, slightly gamey flavour – a bit stronger than chicken, but not too strong. It’s great as a stew with rice leaving the meat on or off the bone as you wish, or the Italian way with meat off the bone and shredded as a ragu with pasta – so good it can even overcome the “aww” factor!

The thing with rabbit, particularly wild rabbit, is that it can be slightly tough if cooked too fast, so this is a relatively slow-cooking recipe – think simmer, not boil. While I do it in the oven, because I have one, you can also use a covered pot on the hob – just make sure to stir occasionally so the ragu does not stick to the bottom of the pan.

As an alternative to rabbit, you could also use wild boar which has a wonderful rich flavour but is not always easy to find – use the same ingredients and method. Again wild boar needs slow cooking but generally does not need de-boning as often the meat is sold in steaks/chunks. Wild boar ragu is a big favourite when we are in Italy in the winter and so tasty!

While there are lots of veggies in the ragu, it’s nice to serve with a bit of green vegetable or salad for a fresh side to the rich ragu. Probably the hardest thing with this recipe is the waiting as wonderful smells come out of the kitchen while it cooks!

Serves: 4 to 6 as a main course, with rice/pasta and a green vegetable or simple salad

Time to prepare/cook: Approximately 2.5-3.5 hours, of which 40-50 minute of active work; 30 minutes to gather/prepare/fry ingredients to go in the casserole/saucepan; 1.5 to 2.5 hours to cook (no work, just occasionally checking); and 10 minutes at the end to debone the rabbit

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Ingredients

• 2 rabbit thighs/legs (approx. 500g) – or equivalent of wild boar

• 100g bacon pieces

• 1 medium to large onion

• 2-3 cloves of fresh garlic

• 2 medium carrots

• 2 sticks of celery

• 4 large vine tomatoes (or a small can of chopped tomatoes around 400g)

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs: Rosemary, basil, parsley, coriander, thyme, oregano and sage are all good options – try a mix of 3 of these depending on what you have available; do not use mint or dill as the flavours don’t work

• 500 ml chicken stock (500ml hot water with 2 chicken stock cubes dissolved in the water)

• 100 ml red wine

• 1 teaspoon of herbes de provence

• Salt & pepper to taste

• 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil

• Optional: Grated parmesan cheese to sprinkle if serving with pasta

• Pots & pans needed: Casserole dish with cover (or aluminium foil if you don’t have a cover) or a large saucepan with lid if cooking on the hob, large frying pan, a sharp knife for chopping, potato peeler for carrots if needed, spatulas for frying, chopping board

Method

• Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees C

• Chop the onions, garlic, carrots (peel first if needed) and celery finely; chop the tomatoes into smallish chunks (eighths is fine)

• Put olive oil in the frying pan and warm up (medium-high heat, 6 on a scale of 1 to 9)

• Add the bacon, onion, garlic, carrots and celery to the pan and fry, stirring occasionally, for approx. 5 mins until onion is softened and starting to go golden brown, take out of frying pan and put into the casserole dish (or saucepan)

• Add a splash more olive oil if needed, and put the rabbit pieces into the saucepan and fry for approx. 5 minutes, turning the meat frequently until it is lightly browned on all sides – it will finish cooking in the casserole or saucepan but this seals in the juices

• Add the rabbit to the casserole dish (or saucepan), put in the tomatoes and herbs, pour in the chicken stock and add the red wine; if the liquid does not fully cover the rabbit and vegetables, add some water until all the ingredients are just covered

• If using a casserole: Cover the casserole (lid or foil) and put it into the oven; once the liquid is at the boil (bubbling), usually after 10-15 minutes, turn the oven down to 160 degrees C

• If using a saucepan, cover the pan and bring the food to a light boil at a medium-high heat, 6 or 7 on a scale of 1 to 9, then turn the heat down to 5 or even 4 as long as the food stays bubbling gently – don’t forget to stir occasionally to stop things sticking

• Simmer/slow cook the rabbit and vegetables for a further 90 minutes

• After 90 minutes, check that the rabbit is tender and comes easily off the bone – pull it out from the vegetables and cut it on a chopping board; if it is not tender, put it back in the casserole/saucepan and cook for another 15 to 30 minutes before testing the meat again

• Once the meat is sufficiently tender, remove the lid of the casserole/saucepan so the sauce thickens more while you remove and de-bone the rabbit; if the sauce seems thin, add a tablespoon of plain flour and stir this in

• On the chopping board, shred the meat with a sharp knife and fork (try to make sure you get all the small bones)

• Put the meat back into the casserole/saucepan and stir the mix thoroughly, breaking down the vegetables a little so the sauce becomes thicker

• Serve with your preferred type of rice/pasta and vegetables

• Any leftovers will keep in fridge for 3 to 4 days, just ensure it is reheated completely again before serving