Évora-style pickled hare

Rabbit escabeche combines the flavour of game with the acidity of vinegar, along with onion, garlic, bay leaf and parsley. After resting in the marinade, the meat is browned and returned to the sauce to cook slowly until tender.

A recipe collected in Évora

Carta Gastronómica do Alentejo recorded this preparation in Malagueira, Évora, based on an interview with relatives of Clotilde da Conceição Trindade in 2012. The sequence is simple and characterises the recipe: leave the rabbit in the escabeche, fry the pieces “as if it were fish”, and return them to the sauce to develop flavour and cook.

Serves: 4 people
Advance preparation: about 2 hours of marinating
Cooking time: about 1 hour and 30 minutes, depending on the rabbit

Ingredients for 4 people

• 1 cleaned rabbit, cut into pieces, about 1 to 1.2 kg
• 2 medium onions
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 small bunch of parsley
• 10 black peppercorns
• 100 ml red wine vinegar, such as Figueirinha – Red Wine Vinegar – 250 ml
• 100 ml water for the marinade, plus about 200 ml for cooking
• 60 ml olive oil for browning the meat
• Salt, to taste

Preparation

1. Make the escabeche. Cut the onions into half-moons and chop the garlic. Mix them with the vinegar, 100 ml water, bay leaves, parsley, peppercorns and a pinch of salt in a bowl or food container.
2. Marinate the rabbit. Coat the pieces of meat in the escabeche. Cover and refrigerate for about 2 hours, turning the meat halfway through so it absorbs the seasonings evenly.
3. Brown the meat. Remove the rabbit from the marinade and reserve all the sauce. Pat the pieces lightly dry with kitchen paper. Heat the olive oil in a wide pot and brown the rabbit in batches over medium-high heat, turning to colour all sides. Do not overlap the pieces.
4. Let it develop flavour. Return all the meat to the pot, add the reserved marinade and about 200 ml water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and partially cover. Cook for about 60 to 90 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the rabbit is completely cooked and tender. If the sauce reduces before the meat softens, add a little hot water.
5. Adjust the sauce and serve. Taste the sauce only once the meat is cooked; adjust the salt and, if necessary, boil uncovered for a few minutes to concentrate the flavour. Serve the rabbit with the onion and escabeche sauce.

Tips for the escabeche

Rabbit can vary considerably in size and firmness, so the cooking time is a guideline rather than a strict rule. The marinade that has come into contact with raw meat must boil and cook with the dish; never use it uncooked. For a less vinegary sauce, start with the stated amount and adjust only after the sauce has reduced.

Wine pairing

Serve with EA Aragonez Tinto 2024 – Vinho Regional Alentejano, from Fundação Eugénio de Almeida.

Advance preparation and storage

You can leave the rabbit to marinate in the refrigerator before starting to cook. Once ready, cool it quickly and store it covered in the refrigerator; reheat thoroughly with the sauce before serving.

Frequently asked questions

Can I extend the marinating time?

The collected recipe suggests about two hours, but allows for variation depending on the time available. In this version, two hours are sufficient to follow the steps; always keep the meat refrigerated.

Why is it fried before being returned to the sauce?

This is the sequence described in the original account. Browning the pieces gives them colour; the subsequent cooking in the escabeche finishes tenderising the meat.

Bring the Alentejo to your table

Prepare the escabeche with Figueirinha – Red Wine Vinegar – 250 ml and serve with EA Aragonez Tinto 2024. For another game recipe, discover our rich red-legged partridge soup.

Source

Confraria Gastronómica do Alentejo, Carta Gastronómica do Alentejo (2013), p. 486. Recipe collected in Malagueira, Évora, in an interview with relatives of Clotilde da Conceição Trindade.

Recipe collected in Évora and adapted by Herdade do Estacal for the “À Mesa com o Alentejo” blog. The source describes the ingredients, the approximately two-hour marinade, frying and cooking in the sauce; the quantities, olive oil for frying and cooking times were added for this version.

Illustrative image generated for this article.