Rabbit Stew Recipe - How to Make German Rabbit Stew | Hank Shaw (2024)

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5 from 35 votes

By Hank Shaw

September 10, 2012 | Updated July 11, 2022

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This is an unusual German rabbit stew with the memorable name of eingemachtes kaninchen, according to Mimi Sheraton in her excellent book The German Cookbook: A Complete Guide to Mastering Authentic German Cooking. It’s a light, bright counterpoint to the more famous hasenpfeffer, which is made with hare.

Rabbit Stew Recipe - How to Make German Rabbit Stew | Hank Shaw (2)

This particular rabbit stew is a Swabian recipe, from Southern Germany. For those of us in the United States, when we read the recipe and we don’t immediately think of Germany, but rather of that country’s former financial nemesis: Greece. Lemon, capers and bay leaves play a prominent role in this stew.

But instead of oregano and olive oil and yogurt, the Germans use parsley and butter and sour cream. It is brothy, meaty and tart, with just a whiff of creaminess. Think avgolemono with more fiscal discipline. (If you want to go full Greek, I have a recipe for Greek rabbit stew.)

You may be wondering if this rabbit stew is some sort of variant on the most famous German rabbit recipe, hasenpfeffer. It is most definitely not.

For starters, hasenpfeffer requires a hase, a hare. And a hare is not a rabbit. Rabbits are light, mild white meat. Hares are heavy, strongly flavored red meat, and hasenpfeffer is a heavy, strongly flavored stew. In America, hasenpfeffer should be made with jackrabbit.

If you want some variation, try this stew with chicken, pheasant, quail, grouse or turkey. I bet it would be good with a firm fish like halibut, too. It is very good with boiled or mashed potatoes, or rice or just some crusty bread.

This recipe, however, is a perfect stew for cool nights, yet still light enough to enjoy with a chilled white wine outside on the porch as you watch the sunset, thinking about the next time you’ll get a chance to chase Mr. Cottontail.

Chances are if you’re a hunter, you know how to joint a rabbit. But for those of you buying your bunny, they all come whole, so you will need to part it out yourself. I’ve written a tutorial on how to cut up a rabbit here.

Be sure to read the recipe’s headnotes, because while the base of this rabbit stew will keep for a few days, once you add the cream, you’re committed. So my advice would be to make the base and only add the cream and white wine right before you serve the stew.

5 from 35 votes

German Rabbit Stew

Chicken thighs would work well here, too, as would pheasant. There is another version of this stew in Germany that uses veal, too. It is a two-step stew, meaning you make the base and "mount" it with sour cream, white wine and capers right at the end. Once you add those final ingredients you are committed, so if you want to make this for dinners or lunches for the week, store just the base (up to Step 4) and add the remaining ingredients when you want to eat.

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Course: Soup

Cuisine: German

Servings: 4 people

Author: Hank Shaw

Prep Time: 30 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours hours

Total Time: 2 hours hours 30 minutes minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 cottontail rabbits, or 1 domestic rabbit, cut into serving pieces
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 to 2 cups chicken stock
  • 1 onion, sliced root to tip
  • Zest of a lemon white pith removed, cut into wide strips
  • 2 to 3 bay leaves
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons capers
  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • White wine to taste, at least 2 tablespoons
  • Black pepper
  • Parsley for garnish

Instructions

  • Salt the rabbit pieces well and set aside for 10 minutes or so. Set a Dutch oven or other heavy, lidded pot over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of butter. Pat the rabbit pieces dry and brown well on all sides. You may need to do this in batches, so don't crowd the pot and don't rush things. Remove the rabbit pieces once they're browned. This may take 15 minutes or so.

  • Add the remaining tablespoon of butter, then the sliced onion and cook until the edges just begin to brown, about 6 minutes. Sprinkle with flour and stir well. Cook, stirring often, until the flour turns golden, about 5 minutes.

  • Return the rabbit to the pot and add enough chicken stock to cover. Use a wooden spoon to scrape any browned bits off the bottom of the pot. Add the lemon zest, bay leaves and lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook gently until the rabbit wants to fall off the bone, which will take anywhere from 90 minutes to 3 hours, depending on how old your rabbit was.

  • This is an optional step, but I prefer it: Turn off the heat, fish out the rabbit pieces and let the cool on a baking sheet. Pull all the meat off the bones and return the meat to the stew. I don't like fiddly stews with bones in them, so I do this. You can leave everything on the bone if you want.

  • You can now store the stew for several days. Or you can serve it at once. Turn the heat to low just to make sure the stew is nice and hot. Do not let it simmer. Add the sour cream, capers and as much white wine as you want -- you want the stew to be a bit zingy. Stir in a healthy amount of black pepper and garnish with parsley.

Notes

Serve this with bread or potatoes and a crisp, German white wine. A lager beer would be good, too.

Nutrition

Calories: 705kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 110g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 435mg | Sodium: 386mg | Potassium: 1986mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 354IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 98mg | Iron: 16mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe? Tag me today!Mention @huntgathercook or tag #hankshaw!

Categorized as:
German, Recipe, Wild Game

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About Hank Shaw

Hey there. Welcome to Hunter Angler Gardener Cook, the internet’s largest source of recipes and know-how for wild foods. I am a chef, author, and yes, hunter, angler, gardener, forager and cook. Follow me on Instagram and on Facebook.

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Rabbit Stew Recipe - How to Make German Rabbit Stew | Hank Shaw (2024)

FAQs

What is the German name for cooked rabbit? ›

Hasenpfeffer is a traditional German dish of brined and stewed rabbit.

What do you soak rabbit in before cooking? ›

A Brine Keeps the Rabbit Moist

And while the combination seasons the rabbit nicely, the buttermilk and salt give you a little wiggle room to ensure that the cooked rabbit doesn't dry out.

What is the best cooking method for rabbit? ›

The best way to get tender rabbit meat is by butchering them around the 12-week mark (depending on the breed) and cooking them low and slow. A crockpot is a fantastic way of cooking rabbit for tender, fall-off-the-bone meat.

How long do you have to cook rabbit for? ›

Bake uncovered in the preheated oven, basting frequently, until very tender, about 90 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the meat nearest the bone should read at least 160 degrees F (72 degrees C).

Is rabbit a healthy meat? ›

Rabbit meat is a nutrient-rich and affordable food with a lower environmental impact than red meat from cattle or sheep. Rabbit meat is considered healthy, as it is lower in fat, cholesterol and sodium than other types of meat, and rich in protein.

What is rabbit meat called in a restaurant? ›

In restaurants, rabbit meat is often called “coney” or “lapin.” “Coney,” derived from the Anglo-Norman term, was commonly used in medieval England, while “lapin,” a French term, is widely used in contemporary fine dining establishments.

How do you prepare a rabbit before cooking? ›

To butcher a rabbit, start with a sharp knife—ideally a cleaver.
  1. Stand up the rabbit and use the tip of the knife to break through the breastbone.
  2. Split the rib bones going down either side of the back.
  3. Using the tip of the knife again, remove the hind legs at the joint.
  4. Similarly, remove the forelegs.

Should rabbit be marinated before cooking? ›

Marinating the rabbit for 2 hours is actually ideal since the marinade will have more time to permeate and flavor the meat. Preheat the oven to 425º. Prepare an ovenproof frying pan by adding the butter to it and warming it over medium-high heat.

What should be the first ingredient in rabbit food? ›

Alfalfa Hay (for bunnies under 1 year old): Alfalfa hay should be mixed with Timothy hay for bunnies from the time they are weaned until about 5-6 months old. Alfalfa is rich in calcium and protein, helping bunnies to stay healthy and strong as they grow.

How do you cook rabbit so it's not tough? ›

Cooking Temperature

Your mileage may very, but cooking at a low temperature will make your life easier by preventing your rabbit from becoming tough — you won't have to babysit it as much as high-temperature cooking. In the oven, this means 250f is sufficient for roasting in a pot, which will take ~2-2.5 hrs.

How do you know when rabbit is done cooking? ›

For safety, the United States Department of Agriculture recommends cooking rabbit to an internal temperature of at least 160 °F (71 °C). The use of a food thermometer is recommended.

How do you tenderize a rabbit before cooking? ›

Marinating the rabbit in buttermilk for two to eight hours helps to tenderize the meat and add flavor and moisture to the finished product. Start the recipe with a buttermilk soak. The enzymes and acids in buttermilk help to both tenderize and add flavor and moisture to the lean rabbit meat.

What goes well with rabbit? ›

To capture the true spirit of this dish, the rabbit is cooked in a delicious blend of onions, tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, red wine, chicken or rabbit stock and olive oil. For extra flavour, one could also opt to use herbs and spices such as cinnamon, bay leaves, rosemary and cumin.

Can rabbit be overcooked? ›

Because rabbits, like most wild game, are so lean, extended periods of time in a deep fryer will result in an overcooked exterior, which will be dry and stringy in texture.

What time of year is rabbit meat safe to eat? ›

Rabbit is an important traditional food that can be hunted all year round. Numbers of rabbits change over a ten year cycle. People snare and freeze rabbits when there are many available. Rabbit/hare is usually baked, boiled or cooked in stews.

What is the fancy name for eating rabbit? ›

If you want to be fancy I would say “Lapin”, which is French for rabbit, and looks better on a menu than “bunny burger”. During WWII, when there was a shortage of meat, my mother would serve rabbit, calling it chicken.

What is the German word for rabbit meat? ›

What is the translation of "rabbit meat" in German? en. rabbit meat = Kaninchenfleisch.

What is the word Hasenpfeffer? ›

Hasenpfeffer is a traditional Dutch and German stew made from marinated rabbit or hare, cut into stewing-meat sized pieces and braised with onions and a marinade made from wine and vinegar.

How do you say rabbit stew in German? ›

Hasenpfeffer (Rabbit Stew)

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