Rabbit Stewed in Stout

This richly flavored stewed rabbit has a special ingredient to make it tender and flavorful: Irish stout! MORE+ LESS-

By Betty Crocker Kitchens

June 29, 2006

slices bacon

1/2

cup Gold Medal™ all-purpose flour

teaspoon salt

1/4

teaspoon pepper

1/4

teaspoon paprika

rabbit, cut up (3 to 3 1/2 pounds)

ounces mushrooms, cut in half

jar (15 ounces) whole onion

teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

dried bay leaf

bottle (12 ounces) Irish stout or dark beer

tablespoon cornstarch

tablespoons cold water

Chopped fresh parsley, if desired

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1

Cook bacon in 4-quart Dutch oven over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until crisp. Remove bacon with slotted spoon, reserving fat in Dutch oven, and drain on paper towels.
2

Mix flour, salt, pepper and paprika. Coat rabbit pieces with flour mixture. Heat bacon fat over medium heat. Cook rabbit in bacon fat about 15 minutes or until brown on all sides.
3

Stir in mushrooms, onions, thyme and bay leaf. Pour stout over rabbit and vegetables. Crumble reserved bacon over mixture. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Cover and simmer about 1 hour or until thickest pieces of rabbit are tender.
4

Remove rabbit and vegetables to warm platter; keep warm. Remove bay leaf. Heat stout mixture to boiling. Mix cornstarch and water; stir into stout mixture. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour sauce over rabbit and vegetables. Sprinkle with parsley.

During the slow simmering process, the alcohol in the Irish stout will boil away, leaving behind a richly flavored sauce.
It's important to add cornstarch to cold water before stirring it into the sauce. Cornstarch mixes better with cold water to help prevent lumps.