This is a light and easy summer time braise with a tomato and white wine base, seasoned with garlic, herbs and anchovy for depth. The anchovy does not overwhelm the dish – just a hint lingering in the background. If you don’t have access to reasonably priced rabbit, chicken would work just as well. Serve with potatoes or pasta and of course that good crusty bread to sop up the braise.
Based on the recipe Rabbit with Anchovies in Recipes from Provence by René Husson
1 rabbit, about 3 lb, cut into serving pieces
Flour for dusting rabbit pieces
Oil for browning rabbit pieces and sautéing vegetables
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled and sliced
4 anchovy filets, soaked 10 min. in milk, rinsed, drained and chopped
¾ cup non-oaked white wine
1 ½ cups chicken stock
1 small head of garlic, cloves peeled and left whole
1 lb tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
2 bay leaves
1 t herbs of Provence
Salt and pepper to taste
Season the flour with salt and pepper and dust the rabbit pieces. In a Dutch oven heat the oil over medium-high heat and brown the rabbit, about 4 minutes per side. Best done in batches to prevent crowding. Remove the rabbit from the pan and set aside. Pour in a little more oil if needed, adjust heat to medium and add the carrot, onion and anchovy. Sauté until the onions soften and the anchovy dissolves, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the white wine and deglaze, loosening any brown bits stuck to the pan. Simmer gently until the liquid is reduced by two thirds, about another 3 minutes. Return the rabbit pieces to the pan and add the stock, garlic cloves, tomatoes, bay leaves and herbs of Provence. Cover and cook at a low simmer for about an hour until the rabbit is very tender. Correct the seasoning and serve.
Looks wonderful. I love the flavor anchovy imparts and so many people are turned off by it. I don’t understand that!
Thanks for the comment. I agree a little anchovy adds great flavor and most people wouldn’t object until you told them what it was.
Looks to be authentic. Can’t wait to try it. I’ll throw a few parsley leaves over for presentation. Need a good baguette for company. Provencal food totally rocks.
Ray, thanks for the comment. This is one of our favorite recipes and are still cooking this dish nearly every month. I agree, Provencal food is awesome. Just don’t know what we will do when we return home and can’t find any bunnies to cook up.
I know this is an old article but I stumbled across it, very good recipe, I made a few tweaks out of necessity but it turned out to be a very enjoyable meal. Like others have experienced I have great difficulty in even getting other people to TRY anchovies, most of the people who tell me that they do not like them admit to never having eaten them before! Luckily I live in a rural area so acquiring rabbit doesn’t draw the same kind of negative attention it would elsewhere. I’m also attempting to make garum in the classic Roman style, though three months seems an extreme amount of time for fermentation, I’m curious if I will be able to tell the difference between quick garum and classical garum.
Thank you Nicholas for your comment. Sorry for the delayed response as I’ve been away.
I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. We ran across several recipes in the South of France that had anchovies in the sauce. I think they add great depth and most people wouldn’t even know that they were eating anchovies. That is unless you tell them 🙂
I’ve never used garum. Good Luck with the project. It sounds intriguing.