Mr McGregor’s rabbit pie
By Sarah Cook
This shortcrust pie has a creamy leek, mustard, cider and fennel sauce. Serve with buttery radishes, baby carrots and peas
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Prep:45 mins
Cook:1 hrs 25 mins
- Serves 3
- More effort
Nutrition per serving
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kcal 786
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fat 45g
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saturates 16g
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carbs 54g
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sugars 6g
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fibre 5g
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protein 32g
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salt 1.6g
Ingredients
- about 400g rabbit joints (or 250-300g diced rabbit meat)
- 3 tbsp plain flour, plus a little extra for dusting
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 small-ish leek, finely sliced
- 1 tsp fennel seed
- 150ml medium cider
- 500ml chicken stock
- 4 tbsp double cream
- 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
- 1 sheet ready-rolled shortcrust pastry (all-butter has the best flavour) - if you don't want to lattice the top of your pie, just use ½ a sheet
- 1 egg, beaten, for glazing
- 140g baby carrots
- 140g radishes
- 140g peas
- 25g butter, diced
- few pinches of sugar
Method
Toss the rabbit joints (or diced meat) with half the flour and some seasoning. Heat half the oil in a flameproof casserole dish and brown the meat on all sides. Lift out the meat, add the remaining oil, the leek and fennel seeds, and fry gently until softened. Stir in the remaining flour until it has disappeared. Add the cider and scrape up any stuck bits on the dish as it comes to the boil, then add the stock, return the meat to the dish, and bring to a simmer.
Cover and cook for 40-45 mins until the rabbit is really tender and falling from the bone. Lift out the meat and, while you’re shredding it from the bones in big chunks (if you’ve used joints), boil down the cooking liquid to about a third.
Stir the cream and mustard into the liquid, taste for seasoning, then stir the rabbit back in. Spoon into a small pie dish or baking dish.
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Stick a thin strip of pastry around the edge of the dish. Slice the remaining pastry into 2.5cm-wide strips with a floured knife, then weave into a tight lattice. Lift up carefully, using a rolling pin to help you, then stick on with a little beaten egg. Trim the edges to finish. Brush the top with more egg and bake for 25 mins until golden.
Meanwhile, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil. Add the carrots for 2 mins, then the radishes for 2 mins, followed by the peas for 1 min. Drain. When the pie is done, melt the butter in a small frying pan. Add the drained veg with the sugar, turn up the heat and fry to caramelise a little. Serve immediately alongside the pie.
