Since the last post we have celebrated 3 family birthdays, Christmas, a trip home to Sydney and a fresh start seeing in the New Year. School and work are back in full swing.
This weekend has marked the 1 year anniversary of my dad’s passing. A sad reminder of the love we have lost, but always remembered. My sisters and I cooked some of his favourite meals at our homes in Sydney and Dubai. This included lobster pernod pasta, and a delicious dessert featuring salted caramel. I had planned rabbit for my R blog, and since time got the better of me last year, it seems fitting to make this recipe now.
This rabbit pie was one of dad’s all time favourite of mum’s recipes. It is rich, tender and delicious. The pastry is seriously naughty and overall its a labour of love to prepare. It’s not difficult but there are a few steps and you do need some time. However, there is plenty you could do in advance if you are short on time the day of assembling the pie, such as the pastry.
If rabbit is not your thing, I guess you could try chicken, but I encourage you to give it a go. I couldn’t find whole rabbit so used legs instead and this was fine too.
I also didn’t have access to apple cider, substitute with sparkling apple juice or regular apple juice. If you don’t want to use red wine, chicken stock is fine, but the wine adds a fantastic depth to the sauce along with the rich prunes.
The pastry is almost like making a cake rather than a traditional pastry but I can confirm it worked wonderfully and what’s more, you don’t have to pre bake it.
I’m just going to get on and post this recipe. Serve with a fresh salad or steamed greens. Dad would have chosen a light red such as a Pinot or Burgundy, he was the expert on such matters. We certainly miss our favourite sommelier xxx
- For the Filling
- 1 whole rabbit cut into pieces or 6 legs
- Flour for dredging
- 1 red onion, chopped finely
- zest of half a lemon
- 250g bacon, chopped into lardons
- 250g pitted prunes
- ⅓ cup red wine
- ⅔ cup apple cider
- 100g toasted pine nuts
- ½ cup chopped parsley
- olive oil
- salt and pepper to season
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme
- For the Pastry
- 330g softened butter
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh thyme
- 2 eggs
- 500g plain flour
- 40ml milk
- 1 extra egg for glazing
- Dredge the rabbit in seasoned flour
- In a pan, heat some olive oil and fry the red onion and bacon for 1 minutes or until softened. Set aside.
- Now add a little more oil, and brown the rabbit pieces.
- Using a deep oven proof pan with a lid or a slow cooker, place a lll of the remaining ingredients and rabbit, onion and bacon into the pan. You may need ½ cup water to almost cover the rabbit, but is doesn't need to be fully submerged.
- Cook with desired method until rabbit is fork tender. About 1½ hours.
- Take out the rabbit pieces and put the sauce in a pan to simmer until it has thickened.
- Shred the rabbit, discarding the bones and stir through the thickened sauce. Set aside to cool.
- To make the pastry, start by frying the onion in 30g of butter until translucent. Set aside to cool and then puree in a small food processor.
- In and electric mixer, beat the remaining butter and pureed onion and thyme until pale.
- Slowly add one egg at a time, then add the flour, milk and 2 teaspoons of sea salt until combined.
- It is a bit sticky but place it on cling film, form into a disc and place in the fridge until firm.
- Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
- Grease a 20cm spring form tin or 6-8 individual pie tins.
- Flour your surface and roll out the pastry to about 3mm, no thinner. Work quickly as this pastry melts quickly.
- Cut the pastry the desired size to fill your tin and place carefully and press the pastry gently to the base and sides leaving enough overhang to pull over the top.
- Now spoon in your pie filling, fold the pastry over the top pressing gently to ensure its all closed.
- Make a couple of slashes in the top and brush with a beaten egg.
- Bake for about 35 minutes if using one large tine, maybe 20minutes for small tins.
- Allow the pie to rest for 5-10 minutes before attempting to take it out of the tin.
- Enjoy and savour!!!
