Rabbit Braised in Belgian Ale

Fall comes to Sacramento later than much of the country, but come it does. The winds blow and the leaves scatter and all one wants for dinner is a warming stew. In this recipe we are braising rabbit, over onions and celery root, in a sauce of Belgian ale and whole grain mustard. It’s a carbonnade of sorts, but with rabbit, and is perfect alongside crusty bread to sop up the sauce or over a batch of egg noodles.

If you are unfamiliar with cooking rabbit, you can often find whole frozen rabbits and specialty markets. If you can, call ahead and have the butcher defrost and part out the rabbit.

Rabbit Braised in Belgian Ale Recipe

Many markets carry whole frozen rabbits. Call ahead to have your butcher defrost and cut rabbit into parts. Otherwise, defrost by by placing into a large bowl of cool water. Once thawed, cut into parts (see these instructions). Try to remove any stray little bones at the edges of some of the cuts of rabbit.

The dish works best with a Belgian ale. If not available, try Newcastle brown ale or Anchor Steam ale, or O-Doule amber ale if you need to avoid alcohol. Do not attempt this recipe with a hoppy beer.

Ingredients

• One 2 1/2 to 3 pound rabbit, cut into 6 to 7 serving pieces (2 front legs, 2 back legs, the loin cut into 2 to 3 pieces), plus ribs and flap meat
• Salt
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour for dredging
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 Tbsp butter
• 2 medium onions, sliced stem to root (about 2 1/2 cups sliced)
• 4-6 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
• 6 sprigs of fresh thyme, tied together with kitchen string (or 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)
• 1 1/2 cups of Belgian ale, such as Chimay or Ommengang
• 1/2 cup of chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 celery root, peeled and diced
• 2 teaspoons whole grained mustard
• 2 teaspoons brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

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