
This gorgeous, chicken-like dish is perfect for a special dinner with friends
Ingredients
- A 750ml bottle of full-bodied red wine (eg Saint Emilion)
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 750g (1½lb) rabbit portions (6-8), oven-ready
- 200g pack smoked bacon lardons
- 12 shallots, peeled but left whole
- 2 tbsp plain flour
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
- Handful of thyme sprigs
- 2 fresh bay leaves
- 300ml (½ pint) chicken stock
- 250g (8oz) chestnut or cup mushrooms, wiped cleaned, halved or thickly sliced
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- Baguette, sliced, or mash, to serve
WEIGHT CONVERTER
Method
- Pour the wine into a pan, bring to the boil and boil for 5-7 minutes, or until it's reduced by around a third.
- Heat oil in a large pan. Add the rabbit and fry for 6-8 minutes until skin is browned, turning it every so often. Take out with a draining spoon and set aside.
- Add the bacon and shallots and fry for 4-5 minutes until lightly browned, then stir in the flour and cook for another minute.
- Put the rabbit back in the pan, along with the garlic, herbs and reduced wine and stock. Bring to the boil, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the rabbit is cooked.
- Add the mushrooms and cook for another 10 minutes. Season. Serve with bread or mash.
Top tips for making rabbit in red wine sauce
This dish is best cooked the day before, then reheated before serving. Add the mushrooms when you reheat. To freeze, cool before adding the mushrooms, pack into a plastic container, seal, label and freeze. Use within 2 months. Thaw in the fridge. Reheat until piping hot, adding the mushrooms.
Swap the red wine in this recipe for a low calorie wine if you want to cut the calories down in this dish.

Jessica Dady is Food Editor at GoodtoKnow and has over 12 years of experience as a digital editor, specialising in all things food, recipes, and SEO. From the must-buy seasonal food hampers and advent calendars for Christmas to the family-friendly air fryers that’ll make dinner time a breeze, Jessica loves trying and testing various food products to find the best of the best for the busy parents among us. Over the years of working with GoodtoKnow, Jessica has had the privilege of working alongside Future’s Test Kitchen to create exclusive videos - as well as writing, testing, and shooting her own recipes. When she’s not embracing the great outdoors with her family at the weekends, Jessica enjoys baking up a storm in the kitchen with her favourite bakes being chocolate chip cookies, cupcakes, and a tray of gooey chocolate brownies.