Rabbit Ragout

Ingredients

• 800 g rabbit meat (with bones)
• 2 onions
• 10 peppercorns
• 4 allspice berries
• 1 sprig parsley
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 5 tbsp oil
• 0.5 l red wine
• 4 cloves of garlic
• 2 apples (with yellow peel)
• 250 g chestnuts (canned)
• 2 Williams Christ pears
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 4 Tbsp lingonberry jam
• 250 g flour
• 3 eggs
• 50 ml water
• Salt
• 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

1. 1.

   Cut the rabbit into portions, rinse and pat dry, then place in a large bowl. Peel one onion and slice into rings. Add herbs, peppercorns, allspice berries, bay leaf, and pour red wine over; mix with oil. Cover and marinate overnight.

2. 2.

   The next day remove the rabbit, drain well, strain the remaining liquid and set aside. Heat the remaining oil and brown the rabbit pieces on all sides over medium heat. Peel a second onion, add garlic cloves, then pour enough of the reserved marinade to cover the meat. Simmer covered over low heat for 1 hour. Peel, quarter, core apples and cut into thick wedges; add them with chestnuts 15 minutes before cooking ends. Remove lid and let liquid reduce slightly.

3. 3.

   Meanwhile, peel pears, drizzle with lemon juice, and poach in a pot with 250 ml water over low heat for 6 minutes. Remove, halve, and gently scoop out the core with a spoon.

4. 4.

   For the spätzle, whisk flour, eggs, water, and salt until a thick batter forms; continue whisking until bubbles appear. Pour into a spätzle press or colander and drop into boiling salted water. When they float to the surface, lift with a slotted spoon and drain. Warm in hot butter just before serving.

5. 5.

   Arrange rabbit with chestnuts and apple wedges on plates. Fill each half pear with lingonberry jam and serve alongside the warm spätzle.