Rabbit civet
Rabbit civet is a classic dish of French cuisine. The word "civet" comes from "cive", an old word for onion.
These days, the name refers to chunks of meat, marinated then cooked slowly in red wine with bacon, mushrooms and onions.
This tasty stew or casserole, with its very tender meat, is like my grandmother Jeanne used to make for me when I was little.
These days, the name refers to chunks of meat, marinated then cooked slowly in red wine with bacon, mushrooms and onions.
This tasty stew or casserole, with its very tender meat, is like my grandmother Jeanne used to make for me when I was little.
112 K 3.1/5 (9 reviews)
15 hours 20 min.
Easy
35.10 €
4 people
14 IngredientsLast modified on: May 10th 2023
For 4 people, you will need:
1 kg rabbit meat
2 
1 
1 sprig 
1 sprig 
1 litre 500 ml red wine
5 tablespoons 
150 g 
350 g 
250 g 
2 tablespoons Times for this recipe
Preparation: 20 min.
Resting: 12 hours
Cooking: 3 hours
All in all: 15 hours 20 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - ⌛ 5 min.
Prepare the marinade
Cut the rabbit into pieces (or have your butcher do this for you).
Stage 2 - ⌛ 2 min.
Stage 3 - ⌛ 1 min.
Place the rabbit pieces on top.
Stage 4 - ⌛ 12 hours
Cover with the red wine.
Cover with a plate and leave to marinate for 12 hours.
Cover with a plate and leave to marinate for 12 hours.
Stage 5 - ⌛ 10 min.
Stage 6 - ⌛ 5 min.
Stage 7 - ⌛ 7 min.
Stage 9 - ⌛ 2 min.
Still using the same pan, heat 4 tablespoons olive oil and when hot, add the chopped onion, salt and pepper.
Fry the onion for 2 or 3 minutes.
Fry the onion for 2 or 3 minutes.
Stage 10 - ⌛ 1 min.
Return the bacon and mushrooms to the pan and mix well.
Stage 12 - ⌛ 1 min.
...then mix well.
Stage 13 - ⌛ 2 min.
Begin the main cooking
Add the rabbit pieces to the pan...
Stage 14 - ⌛ 2 min.
...then pour in the marinade, discarding the rosemary.
There should be enough wine to just about cover the meat. If not, add a little more.
There should be enough wine to just about cover the meat. If not, add a little more.
Stage 15 - ⌛ 6 min.
Bring to the boil on high heat...
Stage 16 - ⌛ 2 hours 30 min.
...then leave to simmer on low heat: 1 hour with the lid on and about an hour and a half uncovered to allow the sauce to thicken slowly.
Stage 17
Discard the garlic, thyme and bayleaf, then check the seasoning.
Serve by standing the pan in the centre of the table so that people can help themselves, or by plating up, like in the photo.
To accompany your civet, I suggest pasta or pan-fried potatoes.
Serve by standing the pan in the centre of the table so that people can help themselves, or by plating up, like in the photo.
To accompany your civet, I suggest pasta or pan-fried potatoes.
Remarks
Rabbit civet is one of those dishes, like boeuf (beef) bourguignon or carbonnade, which just gets better with each reheating. So make plenty and keep some for another day.
For even more flavour, you can add a chicken or beef stock cube at stage 14.
For even more flavour, you can add a chicken or beef stock cube at stage 14.
And to drink?
The same red wine as you have used in the recipe. I recommend something with plenty of tannins, such as a Shiraz (Syrah).
Keeping: A few days in the fridge, protected by a plastic film.
Source: Home made.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 320 RDI=120 % | 80 RDI=7 % | 250 RDI=40 % | 5,090 RDI=260 % | 21,320 RDI: 260 % |
| Per 100 g | 9 RDI=4 % | 2 RDI=0 % | 7 RDI=1 % | 150 RDI=7 % | 620 RDI: 7 % |
| Per person | 80 RDI=30 % | 20 RDI=2 % | 60 RDI=9 % | 1,270 RDI=60 % | 5,330 RDI: 60 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 4 people : 35.15 €
- Per person : 8.80 €
Change currency:
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Red wine
Like these other recipes: Aperitif rolls, How to slow cook meat, Two-stage beef chuck , Mushroom bourguignon, Marchand de vin sauce, ... See them all 19
Rabbit meat
Like these other recipes: Rabbit with mustard, Rabbit civet "à la normande", Rabbit terrine, ... See them all 3
Mushrooms
Like these other recipes: Stuffed mushrooms au gratin, Mushroom bourguignon, Broken eggs with mushrooms, Coq au vin, Shiitake eggs, ... See them all 62
Onion
Like these other recipes: Vegetable clafoutis, Sorrel and potato quiche, Veal Marengo, Pollack Parmentier, Pea risotto "Mantecare", ... See them all 149
Other recipes you may also like
Brioche dough
It's a soft and rich dough, with butter and eggs which give a smooth and incredibly tasty brioche. This is the basic recipe for brioche dough, used for all other brioche-based recipes on the site. September 16th 2020545 K 44.2 14 hours 30 min.
Vanilla sugar
Almost essential in patisserie, you can find it in expensive little sachets of about 10g. It's necessary to distinguish between the vanilla sugar which really contains vanilla, and vanillin sugar, purely chemical which has never seen a vanilla pod. Here is how to quickly make a whole jar full of your own vanilla sugar. August 12th 2018439 K 15 30 min.
Confectioner's custard (Crème pâtissière, or French pastry cream)
Quite similar to crème anglaise but much thicker. It is used in many pastries like choux pastry (pâte à choux) or millefeuille. January 27th 2017778 K 313.8 40 min.
Blackcurrant liqueur
The fruit liqueurs (or "creams" in French) are a mix of neutral alcohol in which fruits are macerated, and sugar syrup. They are the basis of the very famous "Kir", mixture of dry white wine and blackcurrant liqueur. This recipe is for blackcurrant, but it can be made with other soft fruits like raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, etc. August 3rd 2013877 K 44.7 55 min.
Tartiflette
A personal version of a classic recipe from Savoy. September 16th 2019629 K 14.6 1 hour 30 min.
News list of cooking-ez.com
Sign up to receive the latest recipes (next batch due to be sent on 2025-11-09)
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Post a comment or question
Follow this recipe
If you are interested in this recipe, you can "follow" it, by entering your email address here. You will then receive a notification immediately each time the recipe is modified or a new comment is added. Please note that you will need to confirm this following.
Note: We'll never share your e-mail address with anyone else.
Alternatively: you can subscribe to the mailing list of cooling-ez.com , you will receive a e-mail for each new recipe published on the site.