Rabbit étouffée with Baked Cheese Grits
A rich and hearty Southern-style dish featuring tender rabbit braised with bacon, vegetables, and wine, served alongside creamy baked cheese grits. This rustic French-influenced stew combines the best of Cajun cooking traditions.
Ingredients
- •8 ounces bacon, chopped
- •2 whole 1 1/2- to 1 3/4-pound rabbits, thawed if frozen, each cut into 8 pieces, or 3 1/2 pounds chicken thighs
- •1 tablespoon butter
- •1 large large red onion, chopped
- •2 whole carrots, peeled, chopped
- •2 stalks celery stalks, chopped
- •6 cloves garlic cloves, chopped
- •6 sprigs large fresh thyme sprigs
- •2 leaves bay leaves
- •2 cups dry red wine
- •3 cups low-salt chicken broth
- •2 cups canned crushed tomatoes with added puree
- •6 servings Baked Cheese Grits
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
Preheat oven to 350°F. Sauté bacon in wide ovenproof pot over medium heat until crisp. Transfer bacon to paper towels.
15 min
- 2.
Sprinkle rabbit with salt and pepper. Increase heat to medium-high. Working in batches, add rabbit to pot and sauté until browned, turning often, about 10 minutes per batch. Transfer to large bowl. Add 1 tablespoon butter to pot; add onion, carrots, and celery. Sauté until vegetables begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add garlic, thyme, and bay leaves; stir 1 minute. Return rabbit and bacon to pot. Add wine; simmer 5 minutes. Stir in broth and tomatoes; bring to boil. Cover pot tightly. Transfer to oven and cook rabbit until very tender, about 1 hour 15 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among plates; spoon grits alongside.
120 min