During the reign of King Henry VIII in16th-century England, rabbits were such a popular food that the King had to introduce a closed hunting season so that they wouldn’t be hunted out of existence. For centuries rabbit remained a popular food, mostly enjoyed in the form of a rabbit pie. In later times it gradually became a cheap food for people who couldn’t afford roast beef for their Sunday lunch.
Rabbit Pie - Myxomatosis
By the early 20th-century there was a huge surplus of wild rabbits and in Australia in 1907 a one thousand mile long rabbit fence was constructed across the country. It didn’t work, and in the 1950’s the Myxomatosis virus was introduced illegally to France and as a result the virus spread to the rest of Europe. By 1955 about 95% of rabbits in the UK were dead.
Rabbit Pie - Now a Popular Dish
This procedure put an end to the taste for rabbit for quite some time. but as the years passed and commercial rabbit farms opened for business people began to eat rabbit again. Some wild rabbit can be found in country butcher’s shops and expensive restaurants often have rabbit on the menu. The meat is lean and tasty, as well as being healthy. However, because most of the rabbit that can be bought is intensively reared, it can be expensive. This is one reason to make it go a long way by making a rabbit pie.
It may not be as popular as its chocolate doppleganger, the Easter Bunny, but it is delicious.
Rabbit Pie Recipe
Serves 3-4 people
Ingredients
- 150g (6 oz) shortcrust pastry
- 1 rabbit cut into chunky pieces
- 240g (1/2 lb) lean ham or bacon
- 2 large onions
- livers from the rabbit or 100g (4oz) chicken livers (optional)
- 300ml (1/2 pint) red wine
- 75g (3oz) breadcrumbs
- good pinch of thyme and majoram
- 60g (2oz) butter
- Salt and pepper
Method
- Finely chop the onions.
- Cut the ham into smallish chunks.
- Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan and add the onions, ham and rabbit. Fry until slightly browned.
- Add the breadcrumbs.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- Add wine and herbs and simmer gently for about an hour
- Leave until cold, then arrange the meat in a pie dish.
- Add the red wine which should not quite cover the meat.
- Cover with the pastry (brushed with a little melted butter).
- Bake in a pre-heated oven 400oF (200oC) for about 20 minutes or until pastry is cooked.
- Then reduce heat to 350oF (180oC). Cover the pastry with foil and cook a further 25 minutes.
