Hasen Pfeffer

Hasen pfeffer is one of those German-immigrant recipes that traveled to Pennsylvania Dutch country and stayed put. The name translates roughly to “hare pepper," and the long vinegar marinade is what separates it from a plain rabbit stew.

Two days in the pickling liquid does serious work. The acid tenderizes the lean, tight-grained rabbit meat and drives flavour deep into the muscle, so by the time it hits the pan it’s already seasoned through.

Browning in butter after the marinade is not optional. Those caramelized edges are where the savoury depth lives, and the fond at the bottom of the pan becomes the backbone of the sauce when you start adding the spiced marinade back in.

Finishing with thick sour cream just before serving is the traditional German move. Stir it in off-heat, boiling will split the dairy and give you a grainy sauce instead of a silky one.

Pro Tips

• Use glass or ceramic for the marinade, aluminum and reactive metals will pick up a metallic taste from the vinegar.
• Pat the rabbit completely dry before browning, wet meat steams instead of sears.
• Strain the marinade before adding it to the pan, whole spices and onion chunks burn fast over high heat.
• Serve over buttered egg noodles or spaetzle, the sauce is too good to leave on the plate.

Variations

• Swap half the water in the marinade for dry red wine for a deeper, Bourgogne-leaning version.
• Add a tablespoon of juniper berries to the marinade for a more gamey, forest-y note.
• No rabbit? Chicken thighs or pork shoulder take to the same treatment, just cut the marinade time to one day for chicken.