Roasted Bacon-Wrapped Rabbit

Name: Roasted Bacon-Wrapped Rabbit
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 1 (2 1/2-to-3 pound) rabbit, cut into 8 to 10 pieces (see note); 1/2 cup sherry vinegar; 1 tablespoon kosher salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed; 1 teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed; 2 bay leaves, broken into flakes; 4 branches fresh thyme; 4 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed; 8 to 10 slices (1/2 to 3/4 pound) thinly sliced bacon

By Pete Wells

Total Time: 30 minutes
Rating: 4(32)
Notes: Read community notes

Featured in: Roasted Bacon-Wrapped Rabbit

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:Serves 4

1(2½-to-3 pound) rabbit, cut into 8 to 10 pieces (see note)
½cup sherry vinegar
1tablespoon kosher salt
½teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1teaspoon coriander seeds, crushed
2bay leaves, broken into flakes
4branches fresh thyme
4 to 6cloves garlic, crushed
8 to 10slices (½ to ¾ pound) thinly sliced bacon

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
Put everything except the bacon in a sealable plastic bag. Seal the bag, shake to distribute the seasonings and refrigerate for 8 to 24 hours.
Step 2
Thirty minutes before dinner, preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Quickly rinse the spices off the rabbit with cold water. Blot the pieces completely dry with paper towels, then blot the bacon dry. Wrap each rabbit piece in a slice of bacon and place them seam-side down on a rimmed baking sheet or in a shallow roasting pan or a large ovenproof skillet. (The flat pieces below the rabbit’s ribs, known as the flap, can be rolled up and then wrapped.) Roast until the bacon crisps and the rabbit is no longer pink, 25 to 30 minutes. It is impossible to imagine this as anything other than finger food (maybe with some roasted potatoes).

Tip

It’s easiest to have a butcher cut the rabbit into pieces for you; just call a day or two ahead. Otherwise, cut it yourself using a cleaver and boning knife.

Ratings

4 out of 5

32 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Rebecca5 years ago

I have to take up the part about rabbit not being available in the east. Especially NJ. The growing Hispanic population in my region, southern NJ, demands it’s availability. Any Hispanic butcher will have it. Anyhow, this was delicious, but I find that nothing needs to be marinated in straight vinegar for more that 2 hours, which is what I did.

Jude3 years ago

Really nice easy dinner. I made a white wine sauce to go with it in case it was dry which it wasn't but it was a nice addition. I served it with orzo to absorb the sauce and a parsley salad. My husband is claiming that we are eating just as well during the pandemic as we did before going out to the fancy restaurants in our FIDI hood. I think this is just to keep me cooking, but it is nice to hear.

Jude3 years ago

Amanda4 years ago

I'm excited to try this recipe. We live in NE Ohio and hunt whitetail rabbits with our beagle. I'm always interested in new recipes for wild game. We normally make a recipe called Rabbit Normandy. It's delicious.

Rebecca5 years ago

NJfoodie6 years ago

Wrapping rabbit with bacon: why not? I've never eaten rabbit that wasn't dry and flavorless, even at Chez Panisse. It's worse than chicken breast, really. Hare is a different story, but it's unavailable in the east (jackrabbit works just fine in hare recipes, if you live in the west and own a .22)

mini hahah6 years ago

my experience with rabbit is that it needs braising, and in something acidic, wine, lemon, vinegar. that seems to be the way to unlock the flavor. but i'm going to give this recipe a try anyway. one thing it has in its favor is the sherry vinegar--that's a good sign.

Private notes are only visible to you.