Recipe: Rabbit with Prunes

Name: Rabbit with Prunes
Prep time: 60 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 105 min
Yield: 6 servings
Cuisine: French
Ingredients: 1 beautiful rabbit cut into 8 pieces (keeping the liver); 14 oz (400 g) of beautiful pitted Agen prunes; 2 shallots finely chopped; 1.5 dl of dry white wine; 2 dl of poultry stock or the same amount of water; 1.7 fl oz (5 cl) of wine vinegar; butter and peanut oil; salt and freshly ground pepper; 2 tea bags

By chef patrick Asfaux 4.9/5 (15 reviews) · 🍳 12 made it

Prep 60 min

Cook 45 min

Total 1h45

Servings 6 serv.

Rabbit with prunes is the autumn recipe par excellence. The delicate white meat braises for 35 minutes in a sauce enriched with blended liver, sharpened with vinegar, and plump Agen prunes. Serve in the cooking dish with a Madiran wine to complete it.

Ingredients for 6 servings

Adjust for

servings

1 beautiful rabbit cut into 8 pieces (keeping the liver)
14 oz (400 g) of beautiful pitted Agen prunes
2 shallots finely chopped
1.5 dl of dry white wine
2 dl of poultry stock or the same amount of water
1.7 fl oz (5 cl) of wine vinegar
butter and peanut oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tea bags

Step-by-step directions

1 1 hour before, boil 1.1 qt (1 liter) of water with 2 tea bags then remove from heat and soak the prunes. One hour later, drain them.

2 In a large cocotte, melt 0.7 oz (20 g) of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil.

3 When the mixture becomes a light brown color, add your rabbit pieces, salt and pepper, sauté without burning for 10 minutes on each side. Then, using a fork, transfer your pieces to an ovenproof dish (decant).

4 Remove the fat from your cocotte, then return it to the heat and sweat your chopped shallots for 2 minutes then add the white wine while scraping the pan drippings (deglaze). Let cook for another 2 minutes then add the boiling stock (or water), adjust the seasoning, then add the plumped, pitted prunes.

5 In a small bowl, blend the rabbit liver with the vinegar.

6 Preheat your oven to 355°F (180°C) (gas mark 6).

7 Then add your blended rabbit liver to the sauce, bring to a boil and pour everything over your roasted rabbit pieces, into the oven for 35 minutes.

Serve in the hot dish in the center of the table, sprinkled with chopped flat parsley and accompanied, for example, with a good Madiran wine to go with this lovely mid-season dish.

A chef's advice

The liver mixed with vinegar is the genius move here: poured in at the end of cooking, it thickens the sauce without scorching it. Count 5 cl of wine vinegar for 40 g of liver, no more. Forget complicated sauces. Opt for steamed potatoes and crunchy gherkins: they let the meat and tea-soaked prunes breathe. A full-bodied Madiran plays along with this lightly tangy sauce.

Frequently asked questions

Can you replace white wine vinegar with another type?

White vinegar or cider vinegar work fine. Skip balsamic, it's too sweet and dark, it drowns the flavors. Red wine vinegar will turn the sauce brownish, less attractive. Stick to 5 cl: the acidity balances the liver, not the other way around.

How long does this dish keep in the refrigerator?

Three days max, well covered. The sauce will gel as it cools (normal, there's collagen). To reheat, pour into a pot over medium heat, cover, leave for 20 minutes. Don't force the microwave, the meat dries out. Freezing works for 2 months but texture degrades slightly.

How do you keep tea-soaked prunes from becoming mushy in the sauce?

One hour of tea soaking is key: tannins tighten the skins. Drain the prunes thoroughly before adding. Add them only once the sauce is boiling, not before. Don't let them cook more than 10 minutes in the oven pot. The acidity of wine and vinegar protects them too.