If you are not a vegetarian, and don't have pet bunnies in the backyard, and if you're not my horrified friend Jodi for whom my last post challenged twenty years of friendship, then you have to try rabbit. 

It's delicious. (Sorry Jodes.)

I made a stew, and because I'm generally pretty dreadful at following recipes, here's what I did:

I started a sliced onion and garlic in good olive oil in a casserole pot. I added chopped celery, carrots, a swede and mushrooms. Cooked it up a bit, added about a cup of left over white wine. I put in the rabbit (which had brined for a whole day) and covered it all with some nice homemade chicken stock. Popped the lid on and put it in a slowish oven for about two hours. 

It was yummy.

We had it for lunch with crusty bread, with fresh parsley stirred through. 

If you've never eaten rabbit, it doesn't taste like chicken. It's white meat, and has a lovely flavour.

It turns out it's quite divisive. My Dad had to leave the room when it was cooking, he hated the whole idea. And the smell. Mum and I couldn't understand it, were we smelling the same delicious dish??

I've always claimed an affinity with peasant food. This is pretty authentically peasant-y. 

Those peasants knew how to eat. 

What next then? Civet of hare? Roast pheasant? How 'bout something to do with goose?

(And Jodi's shaking her head and wondering what the heck happened to Meat-Free May. She has a point. 'Cept I have leftovers. Yay!) 

xxx