Rabbit pie in puff pastry

In Nice, I ate a great pâté that blew me away. Since Nice is in the south of France and therefore close to Italy, the Mediterranean location is noticeable in all the dishes.

Here comes a recipe for a wonderful rabbit pie. Slightly crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.

Level of difficulty: challenging
For 8 persons

The dish can be a loaf pan for pies or a round springform pan. A pie dish is best, as it can be hinged all the way around.

For the dough (if homemade, you can also take ready-made puff pastry)

• 600 g flour
• 300 g butter (cold, diced)
• 20 g salt
• 1 medium egg
• Flour for working

Filling

• 800 g rabbit meat or 8 boned rabbit legs
• 3 boned rabbit backs
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1 – 2 cloves of garlic
• 80 g black olives
• 2 tbsp green pepper in brine
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• Salt, pepper

Farce

• 400 g chicken breast fillet (without skin and tendons)
• 1 egg
• 2 egg yolks
• 100 ml whipped cream
• 3 tbsp red port wine
• Salt
• 1/2 tsp allspice

Jelly (to taste, it is only for coating at the end)

• 5 leaves white gelatine
• 150 ml chicken stock
• 50 ml white port wine
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar

Mix flour, butter and salt, then add egg and 100 ml cold water. Continue mixing and kneading and refrigerate, covered, for about 2 hours.

For the stuffing, remove the rabbit meat from the bones and clean carefully. Cut meat (except back) into small cubes

Finely chop thyme and garlic, coarsely chop olives. Drain the green pepper and then mix the meat with the prepared ingredients and the oil in a bowl. Season vigorously with salt and pepper and cover and refrigerate for 1 hour

For the farce, chop the chicken breast into small cubes and refrigerate. Finely blend chicken with egg, 1 egg yolk, cream (all but 1 tablespoon) and port. Season with salt and cayenne pepper, keep the farce very cool.

Fry the saddle of rabbit briefly on all sides in hot oil, season with salt and pepper and leave to cool. Mix the farce with the marinated rabbit meat and chill.

Preheat oven to 180°C (top/bottom heat).

Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out 3-4 mm thin on a floured work surface. Place pie dish on top. Cut the dough 2 cm larger than the mold all around, place the dough sheet on the mold, close the mold. Gently press the dough against the walls of the mold so that there are no holes or cracks. Spread filling mixture evenly on top, bump the mold on the work surface to remove any air pockets.

Roll out remaining dough again, cut out a lid for the pie and cut out small patterns for decorating. Whisk remaining egg yolk with 1 tbsp cream. Place the lid on the pie. Using a small round cookie cutter, carefully prick two “chimneys” in the lid. Roll up double-folded aluminum foil to fit, insert into chimneys. Brush the lid with egg yolk, place the decorations on top and brush in as well.

Bake in the oven for about 2 hours. Then remove from the oven. Open the mold, loosen the pie from the walls of the mold with a sharp knife. Leave to cool overnight.

The next day, soak the gelatin in cold water. Bring the stock to a boil with the rosemary sprigs and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove rosemary, add squeezed gelatin and vinegar. Just before gelling, carefully pour the liquid into the chimneys of the pâté and seal them with it. Cover and chill the pâté in the refrigerator overnight.

Enjoy your meal!