Coelho à Caçador (Hunter's Rabbit Stewed in Red Wine)
- Prep
- 15 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Calories
- 430 kcal
Coelho à caçador (“hunter’s rabbit”) is a rustic Portuguese recipe: rabbit stewed in red wine with tomato, bay and rosemary over low heat until the meat is tender and the sauce rich. It’s a game dish that tastes of the countryside.
Rabbit was always an affordable meat in rural areas, where hunting was common, and stewing it with what the garden gave, tomato, onion and herbs, was the way to make the most of it. The red wine marinade gives the dish its flavor, and red wine comes back to the table to go with it.
Recipe
Coelho à Caçador
Rabbit cooked slowly with tomato, red wine and herbs until the meat is tender and the sauce rich. A traditional, rustic home dish.
Ingredients
Method
- 1Cut the rabbit into medium pieces and season with salt, pepper, thyme, oregano and rosemary. Pour the red wine over it and lay the bay leaf on top. Leave to marinate for about 6 hours, or ideally overnight.
- 2Put the onion in a pot with a little olive oil and let it turn lightly golden. Then add the garlic and cook a little longer (take care not to burn it). Add the rabbit with its marinade and the tomatoes cut into cubes. Bring to a boil, then turn the heat down so the rabbit takes in all the flavors and the alcohol cooks off.
- 3After 45 minutes, check whether it needs stock. If it's very dry, add 200 ml of hot stock and cook for another 45 minutes or until the rabbit is tender. Then take out the rabbit and let the sauce cook a little longer to reduce.
- 4When it's as thick as you like, strain the sauce and set aside. Serve the rabbit with fried potatoes and pour the sauce over.
Tips
Marinate the rabbit for at least 4 to 6 hours, or overnight, always in the fridge. The acidity of the wine softens the fibers. Take the meat out 30 minutes before cooking so it cooks evenly.
Cook it over very low heat, covered, for at least an hour; wild rabbit can need an hour and a half. Test with a fork: the meat should come off the bone.
Fried potatoes are the classic side; garlic rice or a green salad also work.
