rabbit with prunes and Trappist beer

Cut a few onions into slices and fry them in a generous knob of butter until they turn glassy. Spoon the onions into a casserole. Fry a portion of bacon strips until crispy and put them away, covered. Dust the rabbit pieces with plain flour and fry them in butter until the pieces are nicely seared. Spoon the meat into the casserole. Make a bouquet garni from bay leaf, parsley stalks, sprigs of thyme and rosemary. Place it in the casserole. Now pour in the veal stock and brown Trappist beer until the meat is completely submerged.

Add a good dash of red balsamic vinegar, a few tablespoons of brown sugar and stir. Put a thick slice of bread without the crust on top, generously smeared with mustard. Leave the stew on low heat and uncovered to simmer gently. After an hour of cooking, add the dried plums. Stir everything well. Leave to simmer for another half an hour and then check whether the meat is tender. It should come off the bone easily. Now add the fried bacon bits, stir and close the lid. You can now serve the dish, but it is definitely advisable to put the casserole away in a cool place overnight and only serve the rabbit the next day. In this case, reheat it on a low heat. Just before serving, finish off with chopped parsley. Put the casserole in the middle of the table, just like in grandma's time, and serve your guests. This particular classic of our culinary heritage is eaten with boiled potatoes.