Oven-Braised Rabbit in Sour Cream Sauce

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make oven-braised rabbit in sour cream? Gather everything on the ingredient list. I used a 1200-gram carcass, so I doubled all the other amounts. Rabbit has a distinctive smell; to tame it, you can soak the carcass in cold water for a few hours.

2. Step 2:

   

   Cut the rabbit into serving pieces. Rinse and pat the meat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Peel the onion and garlic.

3. Step 3:

   

   In a small bowl, combine a blend of ground peppers with salt (I added a little Herbes de Provence, too).

4. Step 4:

   

   Rub the mixture all over each piece, working it into the meat. Let it sit at room temperature for a while — 20–30 minutes is plenty. You can also refrigerate the rabbit for several hours; the longer it marinates, the better it tastes.

5. Step 5:

   

   Heat the vegetable oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet. Add the rabbit pieces and sear on each side until golden and appetizing. Sear over high heat so the outside seals and the juices stay locked inside each piece.

6. Step 6:

   

   Cut the onion into rings. Scatter some over the bottom of a baking dish and lay the seared rabbit pieces on top.

7. Step 7:

   

   Spread the rest of the onion over the meat.

8. Step 8:

   

   In a small deep bowl, mix the sour cream, water, and pressed garlic. Add a pinch of salt and ground pepper if you like. My sour cream was very thick, so I used a bit more water than the recipe calls for. The sauce should be about the consistency of heavy cream.

9. Step 9:

   

   Spread the sauce evenly over the meat and onion. Cover the dish with foil and put it in a preheated oven. Set it between 350 and 425°F (180–220°C), conventional (top-and-bottom) heat. Bake this way for about 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes.

10. Step 10:

    

    Then remove the foil and bake until done and golden. It took me about 30–40 minutes. Times and temperatures may vary from what's given here.

11. Step 11:

    

    Sprinkle the finished dish with fresh herbs. Ready to serve!