Durham Farmhouse Rabbit Pie
Tender rabbit, crisp smoked bacon, and sweet root vegetables simmered in savoury gravy beneath a golden shortcrust pastry lid.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 80 min
- Total
- 110 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 620 kcal
Equipment
- •Large frying pan
- •Deep pie dish
- •Rolling pin
- •Pastry brush
- •Slotted spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- fat
- 28 g
- carbs
- 42 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 48 g
- calories
- 620 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Melt the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat on the hob.
- 2
Add the bacon and cook for 4 minutes until crisp and lightly browned.
- 3
Season the rabbit pieces and brown them in the bacon fat for 6 minutes, turning once.
- 4
Transfer the rabbit to a plate using a slotted spoon.
- 5
Add the diced onion, carrots, and swede to the pan and fry for 5 minutes until soft.
- 6
Stir in the plain flour and cook for 1 minute to coat the vegetables.
- 7
Pour in the stock gradually, stirring constantly to build a smooth sauce, then stir in the thyme.
- 8
Return the rabbit to the pan, cover with a lid, and simmer gently on low heat for 40 minutes.
- 9
Remove the rabbit bones, shred the meat, return it to the pan, and transfer the mixture into a pie dish.
- 10
Preheat your fan oven to 180°C and leave the filling to cool for 10 minutes.
- 11
Drape the shortcrust pastry over the dish, crimp (fold and pinch the pastry edge into a rope), and cut a steam vent.
- 12
Brush the top with beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes until deep golden and bubbling.
Chef's tips
Letting the stewed rabbit cool slightly before covering prevents the pastry fat from melting and becoming soggy. Wild rabbit is very lean, so gentle simmering is crucial to keep the meat tender.
Ingredient substitutions
- wild rabbit → skinless bone-in chicken thighs
- swede → parsnips or turnips
- shortcrust pastry → all-butter puff pastry
Storage
Store leftover cooled pie in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat in a preheated fan oven at 170°C for 20 minutes until the filling is piping hot and the crust crisps up.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the filling too vigorously which makes game meat tough and stringy
- •Putting cold pastry over steaming hot filling without letting it vent, resulting in a soggy bottom
- •Forgetting to cut a steam hole in the pastry crust
Serving suggestions
Cooked Durham Farmhouse Rabbit Pie?
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