Dinner: Cider Braised Rabbit with Herbs

A Hobbit’s Feast

As evening comes, there are still plenty more opportunities for feasting when you’re a hobbit, starting with dinner. Join Frodo and Sam in Ithilien for a cider braised rabbit with fresh herbs!

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Dinner

After a long day of feasting, our hobbits show no sign of slowing down! As afternoon comes to an end it’s time to begin preparing the first evening meal of our hobbit menu – dinner. Our hobbit feast continues in the wild countryside of Ithilien where we make use of scavenged game in this Cider Braised Rabbit with Herbs.

Frodo and Sam have been travelling for some time and food is becoming scarce. It’s a welcome surprise when Gollum manages to catch two rabbits for their dinner. Of course, Gollum is immediately upset that Sam intends to cook the rabbits instead of eating them raw!

Sam busied himself with his pans. “What a hobbit needs with coney,” he said to himself, “is some herbs and roots, especially taters; not to mention bread. Herbs can manage, seemingly.”
“Gollum!” he called softly. “Third time pays for all. I want some herbs.” Gollum’s head peeped out of the fern, but his looks were neither helpful nor friendly. “A few bay-leaves, some thyme and sage, will do; before the water boils,” said Sam.
“No!” said Gollum. “Smeagol is not pleased. And Smeagol doesn’t like smelly leaves. He doesn’t eat grasses or roots, no precious, not till he’s starving or very sick, poor Smeagol.”
-The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (Book 4 Chapter 4: Of Herbs and Stewed Rabbit)

Ingredient Notes

Rabbit: Rabbit is an incredibly lean meat with very little fat. Care must be taken when deciding how to cook rabbit so that the meat doesn’t dry out. Braising the rabbit will help to keep the meat moist and tender. Frozen rabbit can be found in some well-stocked grocery stores or can be ordered through your butcher. If possible, look for rabbit that is already cut up. It will have two hind legs, two front legs, and the saddle, or loin. If the loin is intact, I like to cut it in half, either lengthwise or crosswise, to make 6 pieces total.

Cider: Cider adds a subtle sweetness to this dish. Choose any dry, hard cider that you prefer. I used Strongbow cider here. If you want to keep the dish non-alcoholic then substitute with a regular apple cider instead.

Herbs: Making rabbit stew out in the wild meant Sam didn’t have access to many ingredients to enhance the flavour. So, he sent Gollum to search for aromatic herbs – bay leaves, thyme, and sage. This recipe takes its cue from Sam with bouquet garni, or bundle, of fresh thyme, sage, and bay leaves.

Bacon: What dish isn’t made better with a few slices of bacon??

Grainy mustard: Mustard is a classic flavour pairing with rabbit and adds a piquant flavour to the sauce.

Chicken Broth: Homemade chicken broth is ideal, but if you don’t have any on hand then it’s perfectly ok to use a good quality store bought broth. I usually look for a good quality organic broth with reduced salt. 

Cream: Heavy cream adds a final touch of richness to this braised rabbit dish.

How to Make Cider Braised Rabbit with Herbs

Prep the ingredients

Dice the onion and finely mince the garlic and set aside. Chop the bacon into a small dice and set aside. Tie a small bundle of fresh thyme sprigs, sage leaves and a couple bay leaves together. Finely chop the parsley for garnish. If the rabbit has not been cut up, then break it down to 6 pieces. Cut off both of the hind legs. Separate the saddle, or back section, of the rabbit from the front two legs. Cut the saddle in half either lengthwise or crosswise. Separate the two front legs.

Brown the rabbit

Season the rabbit pieces on both sides with kosher salt and pepper. Heat a wide skillet over medium high heat. When the pan is hot add a liberal amount of olive oil. Add the rabbit pieces to the hot skillet and sear undisturbed until well browned. The rabbit may stick to the pan initially, but it will release once it’s browned.

Make the braising liquid

To make the braising liquid, turn the heat on the skillet down to medium and then add the bacon. Add the diced onions. Sauté the bacon and onion until the bacon begins to brown and the onions are soft and translucent.

Add the minced garlic and grainy mustard to the bacon mixture. Cook for another minute until the garlic is fragrant. Turn the heat back up to medium high and deglaze the pan with the cider. Be careful when adding the cider to the hot pan as it can spatter. 

Allow the cider to come to a simmer while scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken broth. Bring the sauce to a simmer and add the rabbit pieces back to the pan along with any juices on the plate.

Braise the rabbit

Bring the liquid up to a gentle simmer and then turn the heat down to low. Cover and cook the rabbit very slowly over a low simmer until fully cooked and tender. This should take about 40 to 45 minutes.

Finish the cider braised rabbit with herbs

When fully cooked, remove the rabbit pieces to a clean serving platter and tent with foil. Add the heavy cream to the pan and bring the sauce to a boil. Let reduce for 3 to 5 minutes. Taste the sauce and check the seasoning, adding more kosher salt and pepper if needed.

In a small bowl or cup, stir together the flour and water until a smooth paste. Add the flour mixture to the sauce and quickly stir to combine. Simmer the sauce until it thickens to the desired consistency. If you prefer the sauce thicker, you can add a bit more flour mixed with water.

Return the rabbit to the pan and spoon the sauce over. Garnish with chopped fresh parsley and enjoy!

Serving & Pairing Suggestions

Serve this cider braised rabbit with herbs the way Samwise Gamgee intended – with a side dish of potatoes or a slice of bread!

A Feast for Hobbits

• First Breakfast: Savoury Dutch baby with tomatoes, sausages, and bacon
• Second Breakfast: Wild mushrooms on cheese toast
• Elevenses: White braided bread with whipped brie, berries and honey
• Luncheon: Beef, stout and barley soup, Ploughman’s lunch, and a blackberry almond tart with whipped honey mascarpone
• Afternoon Tea: Miruvor, lavender lembas bread, and spiced mead honey cake
• Dinner: Cider braised rabbit with herbs
• Supper: Beer-battered fish and chips
• Dessert: Hazelnut Meringue Cake with Strawberries and Cream

Let me know what you think about the recipe, or hobbit food generally, in the comments below!

Follow along on Instagram @rhubarbandlavender for my Hobbit’s Feast reel series, and always make sure to tag me if you make one of my recipes!