Leicestershire Rabbit and Bacon Hotpot
Tender pieces of rabbit and smoky bacon braised with sweet onions beneath a crisp, golden layer of sliced potatoes.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 90 min
- Total
- 115 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 485 kcal
Equipment
- •deep casserole dish
- •large frying pan
- •chopping board
- •pastry brush
- •slotted spoon
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 485 kcal
- fat
- 19 g
- carbs
- 36 g
- fibre
- 4 g
- protein
- 42 g
- calories
- 485 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your fan oven to 160°C and grease a deep casserole dish lightly with butter.
- 2
Toss the jointed rabbit pieces in plain flour seasoned with half the salt and pepper.
- 3
Fry the chopped bacon in a large frying pan over medium heat until crisp, then transfer to the casserole dish.
- 4
Brown the floured rabbit portions in the remaining bacon fat until lightly coloured on all sides.
- 5
Transfer the browned rabbit into the casserole dish alongside the bacon.
- 6
Soften the sliced onions and carrots in the same frying pan for five minutes, then add to the meat.
- 7
Tuck the fresh thyme sprigs and bay leaves amongst the meat and pour over the warm chicken stock.
- 8
Arrange the sliced potatoes in overlapping concentric circles across the top, completely sealing the filling.
- 9
Brush the top potato layer generously with melted butter and season with remaining salt and pepper.
- 10
Cover the dish with a tight-fitting lid or foil and bake for sixty minutes.
- 11
Remove the lid, raise oven temperature to 180°C fan, and bake for twenty-five minutes until golden and crisp.
Chef's tips
Slice the potatoes evenly using a mandoline or sharp knife so they cook at a uniform rate. If your wild rabbit is particularly lean, soaking the joints in lightly salted milk for an hour before cooking helps tenderise the meat.
Ingredient substitutions
- wild rabbit → skinless, bone-in chicken thighs
- smoked streaky bacon → pancetta cubes or unsmoked back bacon
- Maris Piper potatoes → King Edward or Russet potatoes
Storage
Store cooled leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat covered in an oven preheated to 160°C fan until piping hot, uncovering for the last five minutes to recrisp the potatoes.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Cutting potato slices too thick, which leaves them hard while the meat overcooks
- •Baking uncovered from the start, which dries out the lean rabbit meat before it softens
- •Over-salting the broth before tasting, as the cured bacon releases plenty of natural salt
Serving suggestions
Cooked Leicestershire Rabbit and Bacon Hotpot?
Sign in to save this recipe to a collection. Bookmarking works without an account — it stays on this device.
Sign in for collectionsSimilar recipes
Dishes with the same spirit, spice level and course.
More from East Midlands
Cooking that shares the same kitchen and pantry.
Recipes using similar ingredients
Use what you already bought for this recipe.
