A common Czech household recipe. Rabbit meat is very lean and healthy. Raising domestic rabbits is a Czech tradition in smaller cities and villages. Rabbit meat is prepared in many ways, breaded, backed, braised and grilled using different gravies and sauces. Served with dumplings and a good Czech beer is a welcomed meal.

Ingredients

2 lb rabbit meat – about a whole rabbit
1/5 lb bacon
3 Tbs vinegar
1 Tbs + 1 tsp sugar
1 large onion
1 peeled and sliced parsnip
5 peeled and sliced carrots
salt to taste – approx. 1 tsp salt
ground black pepper to taste – approx. 1 pinch
1 lb peeled and sliced celery
3 bay leaves
3 allspice berries
4 black peppercorns
6 Tbs lard
3 Tbs flour
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp icing sugar
2 tsp yellow mustard
1 cup sour cream

Instructions

The pickled rabbit should rest for 1 day, so you should start cooking this meal 1 day prior to serving it.

Wash and dry the meat, place it into a pan, season it with salt and black pepper to taste, and cover it with the slices of bacon. Then, add the vegetable (celery, carrot, parsnip, onion), spices, vinegar, and sugar and set it aside to rest for a day.

The next day add, and the lard and roast it for 2 hours on 350 F. Monitor it in 15 minute intervals and add water as necessary. Then take the meat out, strain out the spices, and press the vegetables through a sieve. Mix it in the pan with the sour cream and flour and poach it until it has a smooth, creamy consistency.

Finally, sweeten it with the icing sugar, and use the lemon juice and mustard to add a little acidity. Serve the sauce over the cooked rabbit.

The Czech bread dumplings are a typical side dish.  Dumplings are great when you’ve got a delicious cream sauce to soak up.