Beer Braised Rabbit

Ingredients

• A handful of roughly chopped onion
• A handful of roughly chopped celery
• A handful of roughly chopped carrot
• 5 cloves of garlic, whole
• 3 – 4 sprigs of rosemary, leaves removed
• 3 – 4 sprigs of thyme, leaves removed
• 1 rabbit
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 500 ml of good-quality vegetable stock
• 500 ml of your favourite beer
• One packet of baby spinach
• Zest of one lemon, for garnish
• A bunch of roughly chopped parsley, for garnish
• Polenta, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 160 °C.

2. 2

   In a large pot, gently fry off your onions, celery and carrot until softened. Add your garlic along with the rosemary and thyme. Add the rabbit and cook until browned on both sides (a few minutes will do it). Season with salt and pepper and pour in the stock, the beer and a little water if necessary. You want the rabbit to be submerged. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and cook with the lid on the oven for two and a half hours.

3. 3

   Using a pair of tongs, remove the rabbit and set aside to cool. It will probably be falling apart now so make sure you get all the bones out.

4. 4

   Place the pot back on stove and reduce the stock gently until you’re happy with the consistency.

5. 5

   Meanwhile, once the rabbit has cooled, shred it and add the meat back to the liquid. When your sauce has thickened up, add the spinach and make your polenta as per packet instructions.

6. 6

   To serve, spoon wet polenta onto a big wooden board. Top with the rabbit and some sauce poured over the top. As a final flourish garnish with the parsley and lemon zest.