Braised Rabbit Legs with Vegetables

Braised rabbit legs with leeks, carrots and new potatoes, great ingredients that are simply cooked, are at the heart of this delicious meal.

Slowly cooked for a couple of hours in the oven, this delicious rabbit recipe only needs 15 minutes or so of your time. The rest of the time is spent with your feet up, waiting for dinner to be served!

Simple Rabbit Braise

It is very easy to get carried away with big, blingy flavours and spices. However, oftentimes, simple ingredients perfectly cooked are just as good, and this is where this recipe sits.

This rabbit recipe joins a few others celebrating a meat that I think we should eat a lot more of. I use it fairly often in dishes like my rabbit cacciatore , Spanish paella Valenciana, and North African influenced rabbit tagine.

Of course, I have a classic rabbit stew and even a rabbit pie too!

Rabbit is subtle in flavour but very distinct; it also has a lovely texture when cooked properly.

In this recipe, we take rabbit legs and braise them for a couple of hours at a low temperature. It's a wonderful technique that I also use for this braised beef shin recipe.

They come out perfectly cooked, as do the carrots and potatoes. As for the braising liquid, then to be perfectly honest, I'd pay good money for that alone!

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I cook this in a slow cooker or pressure cooker?

Yes, you can cook this in a slow cooker; 4-5 hours on low will be fine. I would not cook it on high; my experiments cooking it on high resulted in tough meat.

You could also cook this in a pressure cooker; the timing will be similar to my rabbit ragu recipe.

Can I just throw the leeks in?

Yes, but they will break down in the braising liquid a lot. It's still very tasty, just not as attractive on the plate.

What temperature does a rabbit need to be cooked to?

I advocate using a meat thermometer when cooking meat. The safe temperature of a rabbit is almost the same as chicken; you want an internal temperature of 71°C or 160°F.

Can I reuse the cooking stock?

Yes, there will be too much liquid to serve with this dish, but I always save it and reuse it later. It is wonderful used as the stock in a light risotto.

Can I cook this in advance?

I would not cook and reheat this dish; the lean nature of rabbit may lead to tough meat when you do so. However, it is safe to store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for a couple of days.

Serving Suggestions.

This braised rabbit leg recipe is a complete meal as far as I am concerned and I am quite happy serving it as it comes.

However, you could forego the leeks and add some other green vegetables.

Roasted tenderstem broccoli is a great addition and can be slid into the oven alongside this braise.

Additions like green beans, sugar snap peas or runner beans are all really good too.

These can be dropped into the baking dish for the last 20 minutes of the cooking time and will turn out perfectly.

Equipment Used

I only mention specific brands of equipment if I think they make a material difference to a recipe. But if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments section below the recipe.

• Hob/stovetop.
• Oven.
• 30cm or 12" frying pan.
• 22cm x 15cm or 9"x 6" baking or casserole dish.
• Chopping board.
• Kitchen knife.
• A combination of weighing scales, a measuring jug, measuring cups and spoons.
• Kitchen tongs and serving spoons.