Edna Lewis’s Smothered Rabbit

Recipe from Edna Lewis

Adapted by Francis Lam

Edna Lewis’s Smothered Rabbit
Victor Schrager for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Rebecca Bartoshesky.
Total Time
1 hour 30 minutes
Rating
4(26)
Notes
Read community notes

Edna Lewis's family looked forward to visitors during hunting season, and they would prepare elaborate, generous breakfasts like this smothered rabbit to fortify them. You brown the rabbit in butter and bacon fat, drape it with sweet onions and then slowly cook it until the onions give up their juices. The Lewises served it with biscuits or corn muffins, jellies or preserves, oatmeal and coffee or hot cocoa. —Francis Lam

Featured in: Edna Lewis and the Black Roots of American Cooking

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Ingredients

Yield:8 to 10 servings
  • 2rabbits, cut into 6 pieces each
  • 1cup flour seasoned with ½ teaspoon black pepper, ¼ teaspoon thyme and 1 teaspoon salt
  • ½cup (1 stick) butter
  • 2slices bacon, chopped
  • 1medium-size onion or 4 to 5 shallots, finely cut
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (10 servings)

543 calories; 29 grams fat; 12 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 8 grams monounsaturated fat; 4 grams polyunsaturated fat; 2 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 0 grams sugars; 65 grams protein; 409 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Roll the pieces of rabbit in the seasoned flour, and let them set for 20 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large skillet, and cook the butter until it foams, then add the bacon pieces. When they become a bit browned, remove them with a slotted spoon, and put in the pieces of rabbit, except the four front quarter pieces (they can be used later in a soup or stew).

  3. Step 3

    Brown on both sides, and sprinkle over the browned pieces with defatted bacon, onion or shallot and ¼ cup water. Cover, and set into oven at 300, or leave to cook on burner slowly for 45 minutes. Serve hot as you would serve fried chicken.

Ratings

4 out of 5
26 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

JJ

Made this with boneless chicken thighs and no other changes; worked beautifully.

Grandmadoc

I love Edna Lewis. Have several of her books. But it was hard to get past “rabbit” for me. Glad to know chicken works! Of course it does. I know that....Ill rewrite it with chicken in the title.

Amy

I cooked the legs on the stovetop and the body in the oven with success. Next time, I'll be sure to not lower the heat too much in the beginning. Very flavorful!

JJ

Made this with boneless chicken thighs and no other changes; worked beautifully.

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Credits

From Edna Lewis's "Taste of Country Cooking."

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