Lapin au Vin (Rabbit Wine Stew)

This delicious lapin au vin is inspired by the ubiquitous French classic coq au vin. The only real difference is a change of protein, but if you are a fan of the chicken version, you’ll love the rabbit version as well. This rabbit wine stew is a comforting meal perfect for those chilly autumn nights with friends.

Lapin au vin brings all the flavors of the more popular chicken stew but with tender and rich tasting rabbit meat. I was originally going to call this rabbit au vin until I realized it is mixing English and French – and I don’t want to get scolded by Frenchies in the comments.

Technically this is a lapin au vin rouge because it calls for red wine; The distinction must be made as there is also another version called, you guessed it, lapin au vin blanc. If you find this interesting, you might also like a lapin a la kriek which is the Belgian version of the dish that replaces the wine with sour cherry beer.

What You’ll Need

This is a one-pot meal so the only thing you really need is a large stew pot. I love to use my Emile Henry Cocotte which is my go-to for soups, stews, and more however it was a little too small for this recipe so I went with a large steel stock-pot. You can also use enameled cast iron if you prefer.

Other than the actual pot you will need kitchen basics like cutting boards, prep dishes, and a large spoon. One of the things I love most about making this lapin au vin is that the prep work can be quite therapeutic while the cooking part is extremely easy.

How To Make This Rabbit And Red Wine Stew

This rabbit stew recipe has quite a few ingredients; Fortunately most of the ingredients are easy to find. In fact, depending on where you live the hardest ingredient to get might be the rabbit itself. I’m lucky to live in a place where every grocery store has rabbit since it is one of my favorite meats, but you might have to special order one from your butcher if they are not readily available.

Ingredients

• 1 large Rabbit – Rabbit is usually sold skinned with the head and organs removed but otherwise whole. I have written a guide on how to break down a rabbit if it is your first time but don’t worry it is actually quite easy to do.
• 1 bottle Red Wine – Something full bodied like a Bordeaux ideally. It does not need to be expensive; The one I used is quite cheap but perfectly acceptable for cooking.
• 2 stalks Celery – Finely diced
• 1 large Carrot – Peeled, and cut into half circle slices.
• 1 Yellow Onion – Sliced (I only had very small onions so I used three. You want about a cup of diced onion.
• 8-12 Shallots – Peeled and halved
• 1 bulb Garlic – halved
• 200 grams Bacon – Diced
• 500 ml Rabbit Stock – You can also use chicken stock or veal stock if it is easier. I tend to have a lot of rabbit stock since I cook rabbit often and make stock with the carcass.
• 2 tbsp Olive Oil
• 50 grams Butter – Plus more for the mushrooms
• 1.5 tsp Salt – Or to taste
• 1 tsp Chili Flakes – I use Aleppo pepper flakes as they add a nice flavor without an overpowering heat, but you can use anything you want. Optional.
• 1 tsp Marjoram
• 2 sprigs Thyme
• 1 tbsp Brown Mustard
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce – Or to taste. Optional.
• Flour – As needed

Instructions

In a large pot on medium high heat add the butter. Dust your rabbit pieces in flour and fry them in the hot butter until browned on the outside. This step takes just a few minutes since we aren’t trying to fully cook the rabbit. When browned remove and set aside.

In the same large pot add the olive oil and reduce to medium heat. When hot add the celery, onion , and carrot. Stir around so everything is coated in oil and begins to soften.

Add in the halved shallots along with some of the salt. Stir everything together.

Pour in the entire bottle of wine (feel free to take a quick nip out the bottle if you must though – have to stay hydrated).

Add the rabbit pieces back into the pot along with the marjoram, garlic, bacon, stock, bay leaves, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Let this rabbit wine stew cook for a minimum of one hour, but you can go up to two hours if possible.

While the stew is cooking you can make the mushrooms. I love these tiny button mushrooms but they are filled with water so take a while to cook. In a saute pan add the butter on medium heat and then add in all of the mushrooms. Let the mushrooms fry in the butter until they are tender and browned. They will constantly release their own water so this step takes around 20-30 minutes.

When the rabbit stew is almost finished you can add the mushrooms to the pot and give everything a stir to combine. And that’s it – a tasty and hearty rabbit and red wine stew straight from France.

What To Serve With Lapin au Vin

I love to serve this stew with my decadent and extremely unhealthy whipped potatoes. After all, this is the kind of stick to your bones meal peasants are known for so while it may be seen as a fancier dish these days, it was originally a way to fill up for cheap.

You can also serve this rabbit wine stew with roast potatoes, fries, rice, or just a nice crusty baguette to sop up all that delicious rabbit stew jus.

How Long Does Rabbit Stew Last

This particular rabbit stew recipe can last for up to a week in the fridge if properly sealed. I recommend a large sealable container. You can also use food-safe vacuum sealing bags to store this stew in the freezer for longer.