Nebraskaland

20 Nebraskaland • August-September 2025 By Jenny Nguyen-Wheatley GERMAN RABBIT STEW Also called hasenpfeffer, this German rabbit stew was brought to my attention by Nebraskaland writer Gerry Steinauer, whose father loved the dish. Although marinating the rabbit for two days in vinegar might raise some eyebrows, the method works. The acidity provided the right balance when serving the stew with heavily buttered mashed potatoes. This is my version of hasenpfeffer. But first, a word of caution: Do not use plain white vinegar in this dish. T he smell will stink up your house, and you won't want to eat it. Trust me. Aside from apple cider vinegar, red or white wine vinegar would also work. Servings: 4 Prep Time: 48 hours Cooking Time: 2-3 hours Ingredients: • 2 cottontails or 1 jackrabbit or 1 domestic rabbit • 2 tbsp. of oil, separated • ⅓ cup of all-purpose flour • 1 onion, chopped • 1 tbsp. of sugar • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary • 1 bay leaf Marinade • 1 cup of water • 1 cup of dry red wine • 1 cup of apple cider vinegar • 2 bay leaves • 4 whole cloves • 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced • 2 large shallots, thinly sliced • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary • 2 sprigs of fresh thyme • 1 tsp. of juniper berries, crushed • ¼ tsp. of ground allspice • 1 tbsp. of kosher salt 1. In a saucepan, combine marinade ingredients and bring to a boil. Set aside and allow to cool completely. Quarter rabbit(s) into smaller pieces and place them inside a zip-top bag. When marinade is cool, pour it over the rabbit and seal. Refrigerate for 48 hours, flipping the bag occasionally. 2. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove rabbit from the marinade. Strain the marinade, discarding solids only, and then set the liquid aside. 3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in an enameled Dutch oven (raw cast iron will react to the acid in the vinegar and wine) over medium-high heat. Coat rabbit with the flour, shaking off excess, and brown on both sides. Do not crowd the pan and add more oil as needed. Remove browned rabbit and set aside. 4. Lower heat to medium. Add the remaining oil to the pot and sweat chopped onion until translucent. Then add the reserved liquid from the marinade and 1 tablespoon of sugar, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to loosen up the browned bits. 5. Return browned rabbit to the pot and add 2 sprigs each of rosemary and thyme and 1 bay leaf. Bring to a simmer and then take off heat. Cover the pot with aluminum foil, then set the lid on top of the foil — this creates a tighter seal. 6. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 1-2 hours, or until the rabbit meat can be easily pulled from the bone. I suggest checking after an hour — younger or raised rabbits will become tender sooner than older or wild ones. Jackrabbits might take longer to cook as well. Serve hasenpfeffer over buttery mashed potatoes, boiled potatoes or spaetzle. IN THE FIELD Hasenpfeff er served with buttery mashed potatoes. JENNY NGUYEN-WHEATLEY, NEBRASKALAND

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