Rabbit and Bacon Casserole

Like many people, my introduction to sourcing wild meat has been through small game, namely rabbits and grey squirrels. Here in the UK both of these are considered ‘pests’, grey squirrels in particular are actually an invasive, non-native species which has had a dramatic impact on our native red squirrels. Rabbits are more of a pest species than being of particular ecological concern, they graze the grass which is carefully cultivated by farmers for their livestock, and they dig large warrens in fields and hedgerows, creating holes everywhere which can break the legs of animals and people if your footing goes awry. Rabbits are, in the main, successful in our area and the population is certainly stable if not increasing on the farms which we visit.

They are also very good eating.

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Cooking rabbit meat

Rabbit meat isn’t particularly gamey if the carcass is paunched (the guts removed), skinned and then chilled soon after being dispatched. It is likened to chicken and this is about right, although it is very lean. When cooking rabbit you will need to use additional fat and this is particularly worth noting if you plan on cooking it rotisserie style or pegged out by an open fire, if you are cooking a rabbit this way then make sure to bring fat with you for basting.

My favourite way to cook rabbit is on the bone in a casserole. The following recipe is based upon that of Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall from his ‘Cook on the Wild Side’ series many moons ago.

Ingredients

2 rabbits – skinned and jointed
8oz / 225g streaky bacon cut into slices
1 tablespoon olive oil or dripping
2 carrots, sliced
1 leek, sliced
300ml / 10fl oz stock – this can be made with the heads and trimmings or simply chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, diced or minced
salt, pepper and herbs to taste – oregano, parsley, basil, thyme and rosemary all work well

Prep Time: 20 min | Cook Time: 1 hr 40 min | Total Time: 2 hr | Serves: 4

Method

1. Firstly check that your pot is large enough for all of the rabbit and vegetables, without too much spare room. Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the bacon over a low heat. Be careful to not let it get crispy and once it has released plenty of fat, remove it with a slotted spoon into the pot.

2. Fry the rabbit joints in the sizzling bacon fat until brown and then place in pot on top of the bacon. Then gently fry the carrots and leek until they start to take on colour, remove with slotted spoon and place around the meat in the pot.

3. Add the stock, herbs and garlic to the pot with salt and pepper (only a little, you can always add more later if needed) The liquid should cover the meat, add a little more stock or water if you need to.

4. Bring the casserole to a simmer, cover and cook for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Serve up joints of the rabbit and spoon over the bacon and vegetables with plenty of the gravy from the pot. Our favourite accompaniments are jacket potato and buttered greens, such as broccoli or savoy cabbage.

Notes:

Rabbit is easiest cooked on the bone as the meat does not detach easily when raw, but can be pulled off with a fork before serving if you prefer. Cooking with the bones also gives a fantastic flavour.

OUR FORAGING COURSES

Every year Wild Food People run a calendar of foraging and wild food courses in North Wales.

From forests and meadows to seashore and coastal – all of our courses are focused on food, ecology and giving participants the confidence to go and find these foods for themselves.