Rabbit Fricassee With Bacon Recipe

Name: Rabbit Fricassee With Bacon, Pearl Onions and Mushrooms Recipe
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 6
Ingredients: 1 pint pearl onions, or 1 10-ounce frozen package; 1/2 pound small mushrooms (such as cremini); 2 rabbits, cut into serving pieces; Salt, to taste; Freshly ground black pepper, to taste; 2 tablespoons unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons flour; 1/2 pound thick-slice lean bacon; 2 cups dry white wine; 1 cup packaged or homemade chicken broth (not canned); 3 sprigs fresh parsley; 2 sprigs fresh thyme; 1 bay leaf; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Prep: 30 mins

Cook: 30 mins

Total: 60 mins

Servings: 4 to 6 servings

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Although this recipe isn't a true bourguignon, per se, since white wine is used instead of red, it has all the flavors of that classic French recipe.

Rabbit is especially good for a fricassee since it cooks quickly. The bacon adds not only flavor but also fat, which keeps the lean rabbit juicy.

1 pint pearl onions, or 1 (10-ounce) frozen package
1/2 pound small mushrooms (such as cremini)
2 rabbits, cut into serving pieces
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 pound thick-slice lean bacon
2 cups dry white wine
1 cup packaged or homemade chicken broth (not canned)
3 springs fresh parsley
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, for garnish

Peel the onions by first plunging them into a pot of boiling water, boiling for 1 minute, draining in a colander, rinsing with cold water, and then cutting the tiny root ends off with a paring knife and pulling away from the peel.
Trim 1/8 inch off the bottom of the mushroom stems if they are dark, dirty or dried out. If the mushroom caps are more than 1 inch in diameter, quarter the mushrooms vertically.
Season the rabbit parts with salt and pepper, and melt the butter over medium-high heat in a large skillet, or two skillets just large enough to hold the rabbit parts in a single layer. When the butter stops foaming, add the rabbit parts and brown on both sides for 8 minutes.
Sprinkle the flour over the rabbit and cook for 2 minutes more on each side to eliminate the flour's starchy taste.
While the rabbit parts are browning, cut the bacon slices crosswise into 1/4-inch strips and cook the strips gently over medium heat in a small skillet until they barely begin to turn crispy. Remove them with a slotted spoon and reserve.
Tie the parsley, thyme and bay leaf together in a piece of cheesecloth.
Pour the wine and chicken broth over the rabbit parts, and deglaze the skillet with a wooden spoon. Add the wrapped herbs, pearl onions, and mushrooms, and move them around a bit, so they're evenly arranged between the rabbit.
If you're using 2 skillets, use half the liquids, onions and mushrooms in each one and nestle half of the wrapped herbs (meaning, you'll need to wrap up 2 parcels in cheesecloth).
Bring the fricassee to a simmer over high heat, then turn the heat down to low to maintain a very gentle simmer. Simmer covered for about 15 minutes, until the rabbit feels firm to the touch.
Transfer the rabbit, onions, and mushrooms to a bowl and cover them loosely with aluminum foil. Pour the liquid in the skillet into a small saucepan and gently simmer the sauce, while skimming off fat and scum, for about 10 minutes, until the sauce has a slightly syrupy consistency.
Portion out the rabbit parts onto plates, spoon each portion with sauce, mushrooms and pearl onions. Sprinkle parsley over each portion and serve at once.

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
415	Calories
21g	Fat
14g	Carbs
28g	Protein

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4 to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	415
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 21g	27%
Saturated Fat 8g	40%
Cholesterol 85mg	28%
Sodium 913mg	40%
Total Carbohydrate 14g	5%
Dietary Fiber 2g	7%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 28g
Vitamin C 11mg	55%
Calcium 47mg	4%
Iron 3mg	16%
Potassium 648mg	14%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.