This stew is perfect for a cold winters night, the rendered fat from the speck compensates for the lean rabbit meat, and the stout adds richness and depth.
Mid-winter I had enjoyed a bitterly cold evening spotlighting rabbits on a farm in New South Wales. My father was visiting that week and had spoken fondly of the rabbit stews that he had eaten as a child, in post-World War Two Australia when chicken, beef and lamb were scarce and unaffordable for most working class families.
Inspired by a small batch porter Dad and I enjoyed over Sunday lunch at a local brewery, I came up with this rather luxurious homage to the rustic dish of his childhood.
Stout Rabbit Stew with Dumplings
A rich rabbit stew with speck and dumplings
Servings: 6 people
Equipment
- Large heavy casserole dish could be made in a slow cooker
Ingredients
- 2 rabbits divided into 8-10 pieces each
- 4 small onions
- 250 grams mushrooms
- 1 portion speck 380-400g
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 800 ml chicken stock
- 2 375ml bottles of extra stout or porter
- plain flour for dusting
- 1 knob butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Dumplings
- 400 grams self-raising flour
- 200 grams butter (cubed) room temperature
- 2-3 sprigs fresh oregano or 1 tbsp dried oregano
Instructions
- Pre-heat an oven to 160 degrees Celsius (150 degrees for fan forced ovens) while you make the dough for the dumplings. Dough can be made by hand or in a food processor.
- Process or rub the self-raising flour with the cubed butter until the flour resembles breadcrumbs. Gradually add milk until the whole mixture binds together and then knead into a firm dough. Be a little careful because if the dough is too dry the dumplings will be crumbly.
- Roll this dough into a sausage shape and then divide into 16 – 18 pieces. Roll these pieces into balls and place somewhere cool, or in the fridge, to rest.
- If you haven’t already done so divide the rabbits, and then dust in seasoned flour.
- Quarter the onions and cut the speck into lardons while heating the oil and butter in a large heavy oven proof casserole dish.
- Seal and brown the rabbit pieces three or four at a time and set aside.
- Cook the speck lardons, I like them golden and crispy. Add the mushrooms and onions and cook stirring until the onion starts to soften.
- Return the rabbit pieces to the dish and add one and half bottles of stout (the remaining half bottle is for the cook to enjoy). Deglaze the bottom of the pan as best as possible before adding the stock and 1 tablespoon of plain flour. To ensure the flour does not form lumps I prefer to mix it into a slurry with a splash of water before adding it to the pot. Add the rosemary sprigs.
- Simmer on the stove top with a lid on the pot for 20 minutes stirring occasionally.
- Remove the lid, evenly space the dumplings pushing them gently into the stew so that the bottom half of each dumpling is submerged but the top is not. Leaving the lid off the pot place this in the pre-heated oven and cook for a further 45 minutes.
- The dumplings will expand and the sauce will reduce slightly in the oven. Once the tops of the dumplings are golden brown the rabbit should also be tender. The stew is ample to feed four adults but can be stretched a bit further by serving it alongside mashed potatoes or polenta.
