Saffron and Honey

Rabbit pot au feu

March 14, 2013 — braised, france, french cooking, game, MySmarterCommerce, pot au feu, poultry, Rabbit, Stew, Vegetable

Days tend to get away from me when we are here in France.

Even on a rainy day like today, there is so much to do, see, and, of course, taste.

{… on this given day, riding along the Promenade des Anglais, walking on the wet cobblestone of Nice, and indulging in Pierre Hermé macarons}

Another great thing to do on a rainy day is make a stew or braise some meat, slow and low.

Here is a favorite family take on the classic pot au feu stew, made with rabbit. You can use any other lean meat or poultry in this recipe, if you prefer.

Rabbit pot au feu

You’ll need:

- 2 rabbits, butchered (I used the legs, breasts, and added some livers for flavor as well)
- 2 leeks, chopped
- 2 celery stalks, chopped
- 5 medium-sized carrots, diced
- 2 small white onions, chopped roughly
- 2 small white turnips, sliced into quarters
- 1 bouquet garni (thyme & bay leaf)
- approx 3 cups vegetable stock, hot
- salt, pepper
- olive oil
- 2 heaping tablespoons of fig jam

1. Heat up a Dutch oven or a large, deep braising pot on the stove. Sauté vegetables on medium-high heat with some olive oil. Stir often, and move vegetables to the side once done.

2. Add a bit more olive oil to the pan and sear off the rabbit parts on both sides, until lightly browned. Mix vegetables and rabbit together, season with a good pinch of salt and pepper.

3. Reduce heat to very low, add bouquet garni and hot stock to the pot. Make sure the stock is covering everything well. Stir in the jam.

4. Cover pot with lid, leaving a slight gap and cook slowly, for about two to two and a half hours.
“Baste” with the reduced sauce when you check on it from time to time.

Serve hot, ladling vegetables and sauce over the meat, with a piece of crusty bread.