Oven-Braised Rabbit with Potatoes and Carrots
Rabbit, potatoes, carrots, and onions slowly cook in a covered cast-iron pot with a light tomato sauce. Tender rabbit, soft potatoes, and carrots cook together in a covered cast-iron pot with onions and a simple tomato sauce. Browning the rabbit first adds flavor, then the oven does most of the work. It’s a hearty meal that can go straight from the pot to the table.
Ingredients
- 1 kg 2.2 lb rabbit, cut into serving pieces (I used half of a rabbit weighing just over 2 kg)
- 1 kg 2.2 lb potatoes, peeled and cut into large wedges
- 2 carrots cut into thick rounds
- 2 onions chopped or sliced, divided
- 250 ml 1 cup tomato juice
- 500 ml 2 cups water
- 50 ml about 3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon oil, divided
- Salt to taste
- Your preferred seasonings to taste
Instructions
Prepare and brown the rabbit
- Preheat the oven to 170–180°C (340–355°F). Place an oven-safe pot with a lid on the stovetop over medium heat. I used a cast-iron pot, which I lightly oiled and warmed in the oven first; follow the manufacturer’s heating instructions if using a different pot.
- Add the remaining oil and one onion to the pot. Cook for a few minutes, stirring, until the onion begins to soften.
- Add the rabbit pieces and a little salt. Turn the pieces as they cook until they develop a light crust.
Season the potatoes and fill the pot
- Place the potatoes in a large bowl. Add your chosen seasonings and toss until the wedges are evenly coated.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, and second onion to the pot with the rabbit.
- Pour the tomato juice and water into the potato bowl. Stir to pick up any seasoning left in the bowl, then pour the liquid into the pot. Gently mix everything together.
Braise and serve
- Cover with the oven-safe lid and transfer the pot to the oven. Cook for approximately 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours 15 minutes, until the potatoes are tender and the rabbit is soft and easy to pull from the bone. Check that the thickest part of the rabbit reaches 71°C (160°F), without touching the bone with the thermometer.
- Let the dish stand for a few minutes. Serve the rabbit and vegetables with the tomato sauce spooned over the top.
Notes
*Nutrition info is a rough estimate based on the ingredients. Note that values may vary from case to case.
*As with all recipes, there is a number of ways you can get things done. If you believe that some of the instructions can be improved, or have a good alternative solution, feel free to leave a comment.
I used half of a rabbit that weighed just over 2 kg (4.4 lb), giving me approximately 1 kg (2.2 lb) for this recipe.
I cooked the dish in a cast-iron pot, but any oven-safe pot with a well-fitting lid will work. Follow the manufacturer’s heating instructions for your pot. Cooking time may vary with the size of the rabbit pieces.
Cook until the potatoes are tender and the rabbit pulls easily from the bone.
Nutrition is an estimate based on 4-6 servings; the amount of edible rabbit meat varies because the pieces include bones.
I cooked the dish in a cast-iron pot, but any oven-safe pot with a well-fitting lid will work. Follow the manufacturer’s heating instructions for your pot. Cooking time may vary with the size of the rabbit pieces.
Cook until the potatoes are tender and the rabbit pulls easily from the bone.
Nutrition is an estimate based on 4-6 servings; the amount of edible rabbit meat varies because the pieces include bones.
