Rabbit Stew with Dumplings

Rabbit stew with dumplings is the kind of meal that's been feeding hunting families for generations. The rabbit simmers low and slow until the meat falls off the bone, the vegetables thicken the broth, and then fluffy drop dumplings steam on top until they puff up into pillowy clouds. It's simple, it's filling, and it's one of the best things you can make on a cold Nebraska evening.

Ingredients

For the stew: - 2 whole rabbits, cut into serving pieces - 3 tbsp butter - 1 large yellow onion, diced - 3 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds - 3 stalks celery, sliced - 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed - 4 cloves garlic, minced - 6 cups chicken broth - 1 tsp dried thyme - 1 bay leaf - 1 tsp kosher salt - 1/2 tsp black pepper - 2 tbsp all-purpose flour mixed with 2 tbsp softened butter (beurre manie)

For the dumplings: - 2 cups all-purpose flour - 1 tbsp baking powder - 1 tsp kosher salt - 3 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces - 3/4 cup whole milk - 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Instructions

• Season the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Brown the rabbit on all sides in batches. Remove and set aside.
• Add the onion, carrots, and celery to the pot. Cook for 5 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more.
• Pour in the chicken broth. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and browned rabbit pieces. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a low simmer. Cover and cook for 1 hour.
• Remove the rabbit, pull the meat from the bones, and return the meat to the pot. Discard the bones and bay leaf. Add the potatoes and simmer for 15 minutes.
• Stir in the beurre manie (flour-butter mixture) a little at a time until the broth thickens to your liking.
• Make the dumplings: whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cut in the cold butter with a fork or pastry cutter until it resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in the milk and parsley until just combined. Don't overmix.
• Drop the dumpling dough by heaping tablespoons onto the surface of the simmering stew. Cover tightly and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid. The dumplings steam from the top — lifting the lid releases the steam and they won't cook through.
• Serve in deep bowls.

Tips

Don't lift the lid while the dumplings are cooking. They cook by steam, and opening the pot drops the temperature and lets the steam escape. Set a timer for 15 minutes and walk away.

The beurre manie thickens without lumps. Mixing flour and butter into a paste before adding it to the broth prevents the clumping you get from sprinkling raw flour into liquid.

Rabbit bones make great stock. Save them and simmer with aromatics for 3 to 4 hours. Use the stock as the base for your next stew.