Hasenpfeffer

By CathyD

Recipes & Menus | recipes

Hasenpfeffer
Bon Appétit Test Kitchen director Mary-Frances Heck was taught this classic German rabbit preparation by her uncle John Heck; she adapted the following recipe from the one he learned from his grandmother. Marinating the rabbit in vinegar and wine for a couple of days yields meltingly tender meat.

4–6 servings

Recipe by Mary-Frances Heck

Photograph by Ashley Rodriguez

April 2012

Ingredients

• 1 cup apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup finely chopped celery
• 4 scallions, halved lengthwise
• 4 garlic cloves, halved lengthwise
• 3 dashes of Tabasco
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 sprig flat-leaf parsley
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon whole juniper berries
• 1 3-pound rabbit, cut into 8 pieces
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• All-purpose flour (for dredging)
• Boiled potatoes or cooked noodles

Details

Servings 4
Adapted from bonappetit.com

Preparation

Step 1

Bring first 14 ingredients to a boil in a medium pot; turn off heat and let marinade cool. Place rabbit pieces in a glass jar or baking dish; pour marinade over. Cover and chill for 48 hours.

Remove rabbit from marinade; strain marinade through a fine-mesh sieve and set aside; discard solids in sieve.

Heat oil and butter in a large heavy pot. Place some flour in a shallow bowl and dredge rabbit in flour, shaking off excess. Working in batches if needed, cook rabbit, turning once, until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer rabbit to a plate and discard drippings from pot. Pour reserved marinade into pot and bring to a simmer. Add rabbit pieces, cover, and simmer gently until rabbit is tender, 1 ½–2 hours. Serve with boiled potatoes or noodles.