Suffolk Farmhouse Rabbit Pie
Tender wild rabbit, smoked bacon, and sweet onions simmered in rich stock and baked under crisp, golden shortcrust pastry.
- Prep
- 30 min
- Cook
- 80 min
- Total
- 110 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 580 kcal
Equipment
- •casserole dish
- •pie dish
- •rolling pin
- •pastry brush
- •chopping board
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 580 kcal
- fat
- 28 g
- carbs
- 44 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 38 g
- calories
- 580 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Heat the vegetable oil in a large casserole dish on the hob over medium heat.
- 2
Add the bacon and fry for 5 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
- 3
Remove bacon with a slotted spoon, then brown the rabbit joints in the rendered bacon fat for 6 minutes.
- 4
Add the sliced onions and fresh thyme, cooking gently for 8 minutes until the onions are soft and sweet.
- 5
Sprinkle over 25g of plain flour and stir thoroughly for 1 minute to cook out the flour taste.
- 6
Return the bacon, pour in the stock, bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook on low for 45 minutes.
- 7
Shred the tender rabbit meat from the bones, discard the bones, and transfer the rich filling to a pie dish to cool completely.
- 8
Rub chilled butter into the remaining 250g flour with a pinch of salt until it resembles breadcrumbs.
- 9
Add 3 tablespoons of cold water, press into a dough, and roll out on a floured surface to 4mm thickness.
- 10
Place the pastry lid over the pie dish, then crimp (fold and pinch the pastry edge into a rope) the borders.
- 11
Cut a small steam vent in the centre and brush the pastry lid generously with the beaten egg.
- 12
Bake at 180°C fan (200°C conventional) for 30 to 35 minutes until the pastry is crisp and rich golden brown.
Chef's tips
Always allow the rabbit filling to cool before topping with pastry so the butter in the crust does not melt prematurely. If you are using wild-shot rabbit, inspect the meat carefully for any stray shot before simmering.
Ingredient substitutions
- wild rabbit → skinless boneless chicken thighs
- smoked streaky bacon → diced pancetta
Storage
Cover leftovers and store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat in a preheated oven at 170°C fan for 20 minutes until the pastry is crisp and the meat is piping hot throughout.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Placing unbaked shortcrust pastry over hot stew filling, which makes the crust soggy.
- •Boiling the rabbit meat rapidly rather than gently simmering, which can turn wild game tough and dry.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Suffolk Farmhouse Rabbit Pie?
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