Creamy braised wild rabbit with cider, bacon, prunes and sage

WHAT YOU'LL NEED

• 1kg Australian Meats Wild Rabbit portions

• 1-2 tbsp flour

• Light olive oil

• 1 large onion, peeled and thinly sliced

• 250g bacon, fat removed, cut into small pieces

• 4 plump garlic cloves, peeled and minced

• 1 heaped top Dijon mustard 

• 2 tbsp red wine vinegar

• 750ml cider or fizzy apple juice 

• 250g pitted prunes

• 125ml cream

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

HOW TO COOK IT

1. Pat dry each rabbit piece thoroughly using paper towel. Sprinkle each piece with salt and allow it to sit uncovered in the fridge for 30 mins.
2. Remove from the fridge and dust with flour. Heat 2-3 tbsp light olive oil in a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or pot and brown each piece of rabbit on both sides. Remove and allow to rest on paper towel.
3. Add another 2 tbsp oil to the pan and the sliced onions. Over medium heat, cook, stirring often, for 4-5 minutes until soft. Add the bacon and garlic and continue to cook—again, stirring often—for 5 minutes or until the bacon starts to brown and turn crispy. Add the mustard and balsamic vinegar and combine well.
4. Deglaze the pan with 1 cup (250ml) of cider (or fizzy apple juice if you prefer), scraping all the ingredients from the bottom of the pan. Nestle the browned rabbit pieces into the mixture, top with the remaining 500ml cider, scatter in the prunes, and top with the sage leaves.
5. Cover the pot and simmer over low-medium heat until the rabbit falls off the bone - about 2 hours. Stir in the cream and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
6. Serve immediately with buttery mashed potatoes or crusty bread.

SHOP WILD RABBIT