I never did get her recipe, but I love rabbit, and love mushrooms, so here is my take on a dish I imagine Chef Crenn might like. This dish celebrates the onset of cooler weather. The combination of rabbit (you can easily substitute chicken if you are unable to find rabbit) mushrooms, butter, stock, and roasted garlic are as wonderful as that first crisp day when leaves are falling, schools are back in session, and football is on the TV.
Which Mushrooms are Best in Rabbit Stew
Mushrooms come into their own in fall, and I highly recommend you use as many varieties of fresh mushrooms as you can get your hands on. Most supermarkets will have at least a couple kinds, and the more varieties the better. Dried porcini mushrooms are readily available, and they add a lot to the flavor of this stew, as does their soaking water. You need to strain that water to get out any bits of dirt or grit, but it’s easily done with a paper towel or coffee filter. Freezer: Freeze this dish for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator. Reheat it on the stovetop until the rabbit reaches 165°F.
Make it Alcohol-free
Most of the alcohol will burn off as it cooks, but if you want a completely alcohol-free stew, try these substitutions for the sherry or white wine.
1 cup of chicken stock with one tablespoon of vinager or lemon juice1 cup of non-alcoholic apple cider.
What to Serve with Rabbit Stew
Mashed potatoes No Knead Bread Celery Root Mash Oven Roasted New Potatoes Seared Sugar Snap Peas
Alternatively, you can simply brown the whole rabbit, and put it into the stew whole. Then remove it later and pick off the meat. There is an optional step to making this stew taken from classic French cooking (Antonin Careme) that transforms a good dish into a great one. Mash the rabbit or chicken’s liver, mix it with crème fraiche or sour cream, then push it through a fine sieve. The result is a pink slurry that will thicken and enrich your sauce. If you choose to take this step, do not let your stew boil once the liver-crème fraiche mixture is in it or it will curdle. If you want to go halfway with this final step, mix in a large dollop of crème fraiche or sour cream in at the end. For detailed instructions on the rabbit, read How to Cut Up a Rabbit. Turn the heat down to medium-high. Use a wooden spoon to scrape up any mushroom bits off the bottom of the pan. Salt the mushrooms lightly. When the mushroom liquid is mostly gone, remove them to a bowl. Work in batches if you need to, do not crowd the pan. Brown the pieces well on all sides. Remove the rabbit pieces from the pot and set aside. Simmer gently for 90 minutes. You want the meat to be close to falling off the bone. If you want, you can fish out all the rabbit pieces and pull the meat off the bone – it makes the dish less attractive, but it will be easier to eat. Taste for salt right before you serve and add if needed. Stir in the parsley. Do not allow the stew to boil once the liver-crème fraiche mixture is in it or it will curdle.
