Tejas Heritage Farm Rabbit Braised with Ancho Chili and Prunes

By Francine Spiering / Photography By Francine Spiering | Last Updated September 30, 2015

LEARN TO COOK A DISH LIKE THIS - ON OCTOBER 18 WITH CHEF ARA. SIGN-UP HERE Did you sign up for the rabbit event at Tejas Heritage Farm yet? You may want to get your ticket quickly: Chef Ara will show us how to break down a rabbit. And that is exactly what you need to do for this recipe when you’ve picked up one of those delicious, healthy rabbits from David Glover.

I made this last night, and it was a huge hit. The meat of the rabbit was tender and juicy and married ever so well with the bold yet mild spice of ancho chili and sweet prunes.

Here you go – adapted from Mexico The Cookbook by Margarita Carrillo Arronte.

1 rabbit – broken down into legs and loins

2 cups red wine

2-3 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 tablespoon avocado oil (or other oil for frying)

1 tsp cinnamon powder (I did not have sticks in the house)

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 bay leaf

1 sprig rosemary

t tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsley

4 large ancho chiles, cut into half and cleaned of seeds

1 large onion, sliced in half moons

1 cup soft prunes

2 strips of bacon (cut into pieces)

salt/pepper to taste

In a casserole, fry out the bacon until crisp. Take out and sauté the onions in the same fat for about 2-3 minutes. Take out. Add the oil to the bacon fat and brown the rabbit pieces quickly, 2-3 minutes on each side. Take out, place them snug in a bowl and let cool. Drain the fat but leave whatever is stuck to the bottom. You will use the same pan later to braise.

Mix wine, cinnamon, peppercorns, bay leaf, garlic, rosemary and parsley together. Pour over the rabbit pieces in the bowl and marinate for 2-3 hours.

Strain the marinade (keep) and pick out the rabbit pieces. Discard the marinade ingredients.

Put half of the ancho chili in the bottom of the casserole, then half of the rabbit pieces. Put half of the prunes, half of the bacon, and half of the onions on top, and repeat: ancho – rabbit – onion – bacon – prunes. Pour the strained marinade over it all. Close the lid to the casserole. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to low heat and let simmer for about an hour.

I served this with roasted sweet potato hash, cooked lentils, and roasted sprouts. Serves 4.

Bon Appetit!