Does anyone have a good recipe for (easter) bunny stew?

[stealthsquiggle]

Without (at the time) noticing the irony, I have just bought 2 rabbits with the intention of making stew at some stage over the Easter weekend - but I don't have a recipe. A slow-cooker one would be ideal.

Thanks

(or should that be , or possibly ?)

Have found the following recipe in River Cottage Meat book. I've never made it, so can't vouch for tastiness - I've never cooked rabbit at all in fact, though they sometimes have them at the Farm Shop.

2 wild rabbits, skinned and jointed
250g piece salt pork, pancetta or bacon
1tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, thickly sliced
3 large carrots cut into 4cm lengths
4 celery sticks cut into 4cm lengths
2 bay leaves
Sprig of thyme
500mL cider
generous tsp of honey
salt and pepper

Heat the oil in large heavy-based frying pan and fry the bacon until lightly browned. Transfer the bacon to a casserole, leaving the fat in the frying pan. Brown the rabbit joints in the fat, and then transfer them to the casserole too. Finally fry the onion in the fat (not browning) and transfer to casserole when soft and translucent. Add carrots, celery, bay leaves and thyme to casserole. Pack down neatly into the pan so everything is fairly tight, then pour over the cider, plus a little water if necessary to cover all the meat. Add honey and season. Bring to a simmer and cook at very low simmer (or very low oven) for 1 1/4 hours until rabbit is completely tender.

Sounds like it would be fine in a slow-cooker on low setting. Not sure if you can overcook rabbit?

Souns perfect, thanks v. much - I will add cider to the shopping list and kick myself for not having scrounged bacon trimmings off the butcher.

Can I serve in on Saturday and convince 6yo DS that he has just eaten the Easter Bunny, do you think ?

you can't ask for a bunny recipe and then use bunny emoticons in your OP!!!

at being off Lulu's list.

I couldn't ask for a bunny recipe and not use bunny emoticons!

Not a recipe as such but the op has taken me back to my early days as a newly married wife to a man who harped on and on about his mums rabbit pie.

In a desperate attempt to placate my beloved (shut the man up) I asked him to get his mum to write down her recipe for me.

He duly returned clutching a piece of paper which began with the immortal line:

First cut the arms and legs off the rabbit

i am sure it will be lovely ! bon appetit!

Hope it's tasty! TBH, I don't think I'd have the cojones to serve it up at Easter and tell people it was rabbit - I think I'd have to pretend it was something else!

Easter Monday might be okay - at least The Bunny will have been able to deliver his eggs by then!

I think our DC are fairly hard hearted - they eat lamb with cute baby lambs skipping around on the other side of the fence, and DS has admired, plucked and eaten pheasant quite happily... I will tease only gently about which bunny it is (probably)

Bet you have venison on Christmas Eve too !