Autumnal Slow Cooker Wild Rabbit

Autumn arrives late in Andalucía. When it does, it comes with fine drizzling rain and the distant crack of a hunting rifle. This slow cooker wild rabbit casserole was made from a rabbit dropped off by a neighbour – shot that morning and already skinned and gutted – and whatever the store cupboard could offer. No prunes from Agen this time. Just a can of beer, some herbs, and a slow cooker doing what slow cookers do best.

Autumnal Slow Cooker Wild Rabbit – The Flexible Chef

INGREDIENTS

• 1 wild rabbit, skinned and cleaned, soaked in water and vinegar for 1 hour, cut into portions
• 1 can beer of your choice
• Olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1–2 carrots, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• Chickpea flour for dredging
• Chicken stock, enough to just cover
• 1 tbsp tomato purée
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp herbes de Provence
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Salt and pepper

How to Make Slow Cooker Wild Rabbit

1. Soak the rabbit portions in water and vinegar for about an hour to tenderise the meat. Drain and dry thoroughly.
2. Season the chickpea flour with turmeric, salt and pepper. Dredge the rabbit pieces, shaking off any excess.
3. Heat olive oil in the slow cooker pot (if hob-safe) or a separate pan. Brown the rabbit pieces all over, then set aside.
4. Add a little more oil if needed. Sauté the onion and carrot until soft and beginning to colour at the edges.
5. Add the garlic and cook for one minute. Add the tomato purée and cook for another minute.
6. Return the rabbit to the pot with the herbes de Provence and bay leaf. Pour in the beer and bring to a high heat. Reduce by half.
7. Add enough chicken stock to just cover the rabbit. Transfer to the slow cooker if you've been using a separate pan.
8. Cook on low for 6–8 hours.
9. If there is too much liquid at the end, remove the rabbit pieces and reduce the sauce over a high heat. A flour and water slurry will thicken it further if needed.
10. Serve with mashed potato or crusty bread. Better still, leave it overnight — it always tastes better the next day.

This rabbit came from next door. My neighbour – an English speaker, which is something of a rarity in this corner of rural Andalucía – dropped it round that morning. It was hunting season, it was drizzling, and the Day of the Dead is tomorrow. The slow cooker did the rest. If you have prunes to hand, try the version with rabbit, prunes and pig's trotter – a Limousin classic that deserves its own occasion.

This slow cooker wild rabbit recipe is part of the Game Recipes hub — a collection of wild and seasonal recipes from Casa Adora and the road.

This recipe is also part of the Slow Cooker & Slow Cooking Recipes collection — every slow cooker recipe and slow-cooked dish from Casa Adora and the road, gathered in one place. Browse all recipes here.

Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures – The Flexible Chef