Rabbit Cooked with Prunes and Beer

I still don't understand how some people don't eat rabbit. I've even come by people who don't even know rabbit is edible. C'mon folks! It's not gross, it's not wrong (we eat many cute animals; deal with it). It's a delicious, lean, succulent furry mammal. As often as we eat rabbit, we unfortunately haven't managed to build a rabbit recipe repertoire. We always eat it the same way: made into a stew with tomato sauce and mushrooms, served over soft polenta. It's one of my absolute favorite meals, and it will always remain the original rabbit dish. But my mother came home with a piece of paper the other night that held the holy ingredients to jazz up the bouncy critter: prunes and beer! It comes from one of her co-worker's mother-in-law, who happens to be an Italian mama with divine kitchen skills. This dish was sweet and sumptuous with a fragrant aroma vaporizing from the array of herbs and spices and beer.

Rabbit with Prunes and Beer courtesy of Mrs. DiGiacinto

-a whole rabbit

-olive oil

-salt

-pepper

-dried parsley

-dried rosemary

-1 bottle of beer (12 oz, preferably a red or brown brew for potency)

-handful of dried prunes (about 1/2-1 cup)

Now, what may have become quite evident, the amounts are either extremely vague or non-existent. Allow me to remind you that this recipe comes to us courtesy of an Italian woman, i.e. she does not, nor has ever, owned measuring spoons. The success of recipes depend on her eyesight, and the size of her hands.

So, you can adopt the QB method (quanto basta, or whatever suffices).

First, cut the rabbit. Cut the whole thing in half, cut the legs off, separate the ribcage from the rest of the body (I usually cut it in 2). Cut the breast into as many segments as you wish.

Season meat with salt and pepper.

Place all ingredients in a roasting pan (mine is rectangular, with a lid). If u don't have a lid to your pan, cover with aluminum foil to avoid drying out.

Bake at 380F, for 1 hour, 30 mins. Turn meat every 20 minutes or so.

I served this dish with an asparagus risotto and grilled zucchini. And to drink, a Shiraz-Malbec.

It was scrumptious. There's no better way to show someone how much you love them.

Enjoy!