Rabbit and cider stew

effortless!

This rabbit stew is a simple affair but packs in so much flavour. To make it even easier, if you can’t get rabbit legs then swap for eight skin-on chicken thighs – just spend a few more minutes browning the skin of the chicken before continuing with the recipe.

2 HOURS 40 MINUTES | SERVES 4 | EASY

smoked bacon lardons 200g

rabbit legs 4

shallots 4 long, finely chopped

garlic 3 cloves, crushed

cider 500ml

chicken stock 500ml

wholegrain mustard 2 tbsp

double cream 75ml

tarragon a small bunch, torn

mashed potato to serve

1 Heat the oven to 170C/fan 150C/gas 3. Put the lardons into a shallow casserole or large, deep ovenproof frying pan over a medium-high heat. Cook for 10-12 minutes or until the fat has rendered and the lardons are crisp, then scoop out onto a plate. Season the rabbit legs, then put into the pan and brown for 4 minutes on each side, then remove to the same plate with the lardons.

2 Tip the shallots into the pan, add a pinch of salt and cook for 5-10 minutes or until softened, then add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Pour in the cider, return the bacon and rabbit back to the pan and bubble for 1 minute, then pour in the stock and add the mustard.

3 Bring to a simmer, reduce to a gentle bubble, put on the lid and cook for 45 minutes. Remove the lid and bake in the oven for another 55 minutes-1 hour or until the sauce is reduced slightly and the rabbit is tender. Stir through the cream, scatter over the tarragon and serve with mashed potato.

PER SERVING 486 kcals | fat 28G saturates 11.9G | carbs 7.2G | sugars 5.6G fibre 2.5G | protein 41.7G | salt 2.7G