Rabbit Pot Pie with Root Vegetables
If the cacciatore was rabbit’s Sunday-dinner introduction, this is the weeknight argument for it: pot pie. Everybody who says they’ve never had rabbit has had chicken pot pie, and this tastes like that — only the meat is more tender and there’s more flavor in the gravy, because rabbit gives its broth more to work with.
What you need
- 1 whole rabbit
- 3 cups of chopped root vegetables — carrots, potatoes, turnips, whatever came in the box
- 1 sweet onion, diced
- 4 tablespoons butter and 4 tablespoons flour
- A splash of milk or cream if you have it
- Salt, pepper, a little dried thyme
- Pie crust or biscuit dough for the top — whichever your house believes in
How we do it
The rabbit does its work ahead of time. Put it in a pot, cover it with water, add a big pinch of salt, and simmer gently for about an hour and a half, until the meat is ready to fall off. Lift it out, let it cool enough to handle, and pick every scrap of meat off — a rabbit hides good meat in odd places, so be thorough. Save that broth; it’s the backbone of the whole dish.
Simmer the root vegetables and onion in some of the broth until just tender, about 10 minutes, and drain them, saving the liquid.
In the same pot, melt the butter, stir in the flour, and cook it a minute. Whisk in about 3 cups of the warm broth until it thickens into gravy, then the splash of milk, thyme, salt, and pepper — taste it, because this is where the pie is won. Fold in the meat and vegetables.
Pour it all into a deep pie dish or casserole, lay your crust or drop your biscuits over the top, cut a couple vents, and bake at 400°F until golden and bubbling at the edges, 25–30 minutes. Rest it 10 minutes unless you enjoy burning your mouth, which around our table has never stopped anyone.
From the farm: Whole rabbits are $25, reserve-only — we raise them out and hand them over fully processed, and your name holds your order, no deposit. Root vegetables and sweet onions come along on the weekly route. Locally grown and locally sourced. Free delivery in the Norwich and Syracuse areas; Binghamton free on orders of $20+, otherwise a $5 delivery fee. Message us or check the shop.
