Slow-cooked Rabbit Stew

Cooked rabbit meat looks similar to chicken but the flavour is richer and texture is firmer.
Rabbit is healthy, very lean and truly delicious.
Stewing is the best way to cook rabbits and
this wonderful slow-cooked dish is packed full of great flavours.
Soak up the rich gravy with crusty bread and enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 rabbit, jointed
2 tbsp olive oil
2 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 onion, sliced
2 bay leaves
4 sprigs thyme
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp black peppercorns
2 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup red wine
1/3 cup tomato sauce
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
crusty bread

Method:
*Season the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper.
*Heat the olive oil in a large pan on medium-high heat and add the rabbit, cooking until nicely coloured on all sides. Remove and set aside.
*In the same pan add the onions, carrots and celery, cook for 5 mins. Add the garlic, bay leaves, thyme and peppercorns and return the rabbit pieces to the pan.
*Deglaze with the wine then add in the tomatoes, giving everything a good stir.
*Transfer the rabbit and sauce in a slow-cooker and add enough water to just cover the rabbit. Gently cook for 3 to 3.5 hours.
*Mix the flour and butter together to form a paste and add to the sauce to thicken. Once the desired consistency is reached, stop cooking and season to taste.
*Serve with crusty bread.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet Traveller.

Rabbit as a replacement for chicken? What do you think, my readers?