Rabbit Pot Pie Recipe
This delicious savoury braised rabbit pot pie features succulent chunks of subtly flavoured rabbit wrapped in a silky cider sauce with a wonderful crisp suet pastry topping.
Servings 2 Servings
Calories 1285kcal
Ingredients
For the Filling:
- 550-600 g Bone in Rabbit Pieces 19oz
- 500 ml Dry Cider 2 Cups
- 1 Large Echalion or Banana Shallot 70g
- 1 Medium Celery Stick 50g
- 2 Medium-Large Carrots Carrots
- 3 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 2 tablespoon Flour
- 2 tablespoon Cooking Oil
- 500 ml Chicken Stock 2 Cups
- 125 ml Creme Fraiche ½ Cup
- 20 g Fresh Parsley ½ Packed Cup
For the Suet Crust Pastry
- 90 g Dried Beef Suet 1 Cup
- 140 g Self Raising Flour 1⅓ Cup
- ½ teaspoon Dried Thyme Leaves
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- 75 ml Cup Water ⅓ Cup
- 1 Egg (For egg washing the pastry)
Instructions
- Pour the cider into a 15cm or 6" saucepan, bring it to a boil and reduce it by around two-thirds. You should have around 175ml (¾ Cup) left.
- Cut the shallots in half, peel them and then dice them as finely as you can.
- Cut the celery into a 5mm (¼") dice.
- Peel the carrots (if needed), then cut them into quarters, then into 5-7mm (¼") pieces.
- Season the rabbit pieces with the salt and then dredge them with 1 tablespoon of flour.
- Heat a 20cm or 8" saucepan over a medium-high heat, and when it is hot, add the oil. Brown the rabbit pieces until they are lightly golden, then set them aside on a plate.
- Add the diced shallot, carrot, celery and thyme to the pan and cook for 10 minutes on a medium heat.
- Return the browned rabbit pieces, add the bay leaf and pour over the reduced cider and chicken stock. Reduce the heat to very low, add a lid and simmer gently for 40 minutes for farmed rabbit, 60-70 minutes for wild rabbit.
- When the rabbit has been cooked, take the pan off the heat and allow the rabbit to cool in the stock until it is cool enough to handle. Remove the rabbit from the stock, remove it from the bone and roughly chop it up. This should result in around 275g or 10oz of meat.
- Strain the cooking juices into a mixing bowl and pick out the veggies, adding them to the rabbit meat. You will likely not need all of the vegetables.
- Return the stock to the pan (you will have around 750ml or 3 cups), place the pan over a high heat and reduce it by half.
- Whisk the remaining flour into the creme fraiche, then whisk this mix into the hot stock over a low heat until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Chop the parsley, add it to the sauce and have a taste, adding salt if required.
- Divide the pie filling into two 12cm (4-5") in diameter and 4cm (1¾") deep pie dishes.
- Pour the sauce evenly into the two bowls; you should have just enough to leave 5-7mm (¼") at the top of the bowl.
- Place the dry ingredients for the pastry into a mixing bowl and mix with a fork.
- Pour in most of the water and mix, adding the final bit of water to form a fairly firm and not sticky dough.
- Roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to around 4-5mm (just under ¼") thick. Then cut out two rounds the same size as the pie dishes, and cut out two circles from the centre of each round. I use the tip of a piping nozzle.
- Cover each pie with a suet pastry circle, pushing the pastry into the sides but leaving the edges poking up; these will go lovely and crisp.
- Beat the egg and brush the pastry with some egg wash and place the pies in the oven and bake at 180°C or 350°F for 35-40 minutes.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 1285kcal | Carbohydrates: 86g | Protein: 63g | Fat: 67g | Saturated Fat: 29g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 32g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 233mg | Sodium: 3103mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 26g
