If you’ve only ever heard of one rabbit recipe, it’s probably hasenpfeffer. Hasenpfeffer is a German rabbit dish characterized by a tart sauce and heavy use of spices. Loosely translated to “pepper rabbit” (hase meaning hare, and pfeffer meaning pepper in German), hasenpfeffer is cooked either as a stew or as a braise and served with a variety of starches — from potatoes to egg noodles to spaetzle.
Exact recipes vary, but the rabbit is generally cooked in a mixture of wine and vinegar and seasoned heavily with spices like juniper, clove, and you guessed it — pepper. The rabbit is usually brined for a few days, then breaded, fried, and braised in a gravy made of the brining liquid.
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Hasenpfeffer is a stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal that you want on a cold night. It’s a simple preparation, and although it probably isn’t going to change your life, it’s still a damn good recipe to have in your repertoire.
It’s the kind of dish that anyone with a pulse can pull off, and an easy meal when you’re not feeling like making dinner into a major production. Like many German recipes, vinegar and wine are the forward flavors in hasenpfeffer, along with the spices and pepper, of course.
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You can ratchet up or turn down the spice or tartness depending on your tastes by simply changing the proportions.
While not exactly traditional, I like to add some diced apples for a little sweetness to counteract the tart and spice notes.
Here’s a simple, but always excellent hasenpfeffer recipe, along with a recipe for homemade spaetzle.
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Rabbit Marinade Ingredients
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- 1 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1 cup red wine
- 1 cup white wine
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed
- 1 teaspoon black pepper, cracked
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander, crushed
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Hasenpfeffer Recipe Ingredients
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- 1 whole rabbit, cleaned
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tablespoons ground black pepper, divided
- 1 teaspoon juniper berries, ground
- 1 tablespoon paprika
- 1/4 pound bacon, cubed
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- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 quart stock — beef, chicken, or wild game
- 1 teaspoon mustard seed
- 4 cloves, ground
- 1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt, divided
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 red apples, cubed
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Spaetzle Ingredients
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- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 3 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Oil for frying
Hasenpfeffer Recipe Directions
- Clean and quarter the rabbit, trim the flanks, then cut its body behind the rib cage and again at the hips, creating three pieces: the saddle, loin section, and pelvis.
- Combine the marinade ingredients, add rabbit pieces, and fully submerge in the marinade. Refrigerate for at least a few hours and up to several days.
- Drain and reserve the marinade and pat the rabbit pieces dry.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the flour with the paprika, 1 tablespoon of salt, 1/2 tablespoon of black pepper. Toss the rabbit pieces in the seasoned flour, covering the meat thoroughly.
![making spaetzle](/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/P1422741-1024x683.jpeg)
- Brown the cubed bacon in a Dutch oven or large pot, then add the olive oil to the fat.
- Sear the rabbit pieces in the fat and oil, then add the diced onion. Once browned, deglaze the pan with 3/4 cup of the marinade, and add the stock.
- Add the rest of the seasoning, along with the rosemary and apple pieces.
- Cover and bring to a simmer. Cook on low heat for about one to two hours or until the rabbit meat is cooked through and tender. Stir occasionally and add more stock or water as needed.
- Serve with fried spaetzle and sauteed cabbage.
Spaetzle Directions
- Fill a pot with water and bring it to a rolling boil.
- Crack three eggs in a mixing bowl and whisk vigorously. Add milk, season with a pinch of salt, then whisk in the flour. Add more milk or flour as needed for a consistency that is slightly thicker than pancake batter.
![finished product](/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/P1422746-1024x682.jpg)
- Push spoonfuls of the spaetzle dough through the large holes of a hand grater so that it drops into the boiling water. After about 20 to 30 seconds, strain the spaetzle into a colander to cool. Do this in batches for the best results.
- Once cool, heat a nonstick pan with a little olive oil and brown the spaetzle to finish it.
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