Rabbit Pie & Bouquet Garni

Name: Rabbit Pie & Bouquet Garni
Ingredients: 1 ea Rabbit; 1 ea Bouquet garni (see recipe below); 1/4 cup Butter (or dairy-free equivalent if needed); 1/4 cup Flour (use light spelt for a wheat-free option); 2 cups Chicken broth; to taste Salt; to taste Pepper; to taste Parsley; to taste Vegetables (frozen mixed or sautéed fresh); as needed Pastry (use light spelt flour for a wheat-free option); 3 sprigs Fresh parsley; 1 sprig Fresh thyme; 1 ea Fresh bay leaf

January 25, 2003 Lynn R. - Home Cook

About

This recipe is versatile in that you can add whatever vegetables you like in whatever amount you like. If you’ve never had rabbit before it tastes similar to chicken and hence chicken broth is used for the sauce. If you would like a creamier sauce you can replace one cup of the broth with milk or a dairy-free equivalent. This recipe came from a women’s club in Kincardine, Ontario. It has been modified slightly from the original to include a bouquet garni as well as wheat-free and dairy-free options.

Ingredients

Rabbit		1 ea
Bouquet garni (see recipe below)		1 ea
Butter (or dairy-free equivalent if needed)		1/4 cup
Flour (use light spelt for a wheat-free option)		1/4 cup
Chicken broth		2 cups
Salt		to taste
Pepper		to taste
Parsley		to taste
Vegetables (frozen mixed or sautéed fresh)		to taste
Pastry (use light spelt flour for a wheat-free option)		as needed

Directions

Simmer rabbit in water 4 hours or on low overnight in crock pot with bouquet garni. When done remove herbs and discard / compost.
Cut meat from bones and cube; reserve 2 cups; freeze rest.
Melt butter, stir in flour, gradually add liquid. Heat until thickened & bubbly. Season. Add meat and desired amount of vegetables.
Put in large pie pan or individual ones. Cover with pastry.
Bake at 400 – 425 F. for 8 – 10 minutes or until pastry is browned.

Bouquet Garni

Fresh parsley		3 sprigs
Fresh thyme		1 sprig
Fresh bay leaf		1 ea

This recipe includes the basic herbs for a bouquet garni; however, you can also add others such as basil, celery leaf, fennel, marjoram and tarragon.

Tie up fresh herbs in cheesecloth and add to recipe as directed.

Editor’s Notes

If you wish to make this a wheat-free crust, spelt flour is a good option. Spelt is not gluten-free but some people who don’t tolerate regular wheat flour can tolerate spelt.
I did a bit of online searching for tips on making pastry from spelt flour. I found two sites: Food.com – Spelt Pie Crust Recipe and Spruce Eats – Basic Spelt Pie Crust. Please note we haven’t personally tried these recipes.
If you are following a Grain-Free, Paleo or Keto diet you can omit the crust altogether and eat it as a stew.