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1
Brown the Rabbit
10 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 190°C (375°F)
Heat the olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the rabbit pieces in batches, about 4 minutes per side, until deep golden all over. Lift them out onto a plate and set aside.
Do not crowd the pot — brown in two batches so the pieces sear instead of stewing.
Done when: The rabbit is deep golden on all sides with a crisp, browned crust.
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2
Soften the Onions and Garlic
10 Mins
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Lower the heat to medium and cook the chopped onions in the same pot for 6 minutes until soft and golden, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom. Stir in half the minced garlic, the cumin and the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant and darkened.
The browned bits on the pot bottom are flavour — scrape them up as the onions soften.
Done when: The onions are soft and golden and the paste smells sweet and toasted.
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3
Build the Tomato Sauce
10 Mins
Medium heat, about 95°C (200°F)
Pour in the canned tomatoes with their juice and the water, stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Season with the salt and pepper, then slide the browned rabbit back into the pot, pushing the pieces down into the sauce.
The sauce should just cover the rabbit — add a splash more water if any piece sits high and dry.
Done when: The sauce is simmering gently around the rabbit, thick and brick red.
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4
Braise with Potatoes and Carrots
60 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F)
Cover loosely and braise on the lowest heat for 40 minutes. Add the potatoes and carrots, pushing them into the sauce around the rabbit, and cook for 20 minutes more until the rabbit is tender enough to slip from the bone and the vegetables are soft. The rabbit must reach 71°C (160°F) at the thickest part.
Keep the simmer gentle — hard boiling toughens rabbit meat.
Done when: The rabbit is fall-apart tender, the potatoes are soft, and the sauce has thickened around everything.
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5
Finish with Garlic, Coriander and Lemon
5 Mins
Medium heat, about 160°C (320°F)
Stir the remaining minced garlic and the ground coriander into the pot and cook for 2 minutes until fragrant, then take the pot off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste and adjust the salt.
This garlic-coriander finish is the classic Egyptian touch, used in mulukhia and stews across the country.
Done when: The stew smells warmly of garlic and coriander, and the sauce tastes bright, not flat.
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6
Rest and Serve
5 Mins
Serving temperature, about 70°C (160°F)
Rest the stew for 5 minutes with the lid on, then ladle into deep bowls with the potatoes and carrots, spoon the sauce over and scatter the chopped parsley on top. Serve with steamed rice.
Resting lets the sauce settle and the flavours come together before serving.
Done when: The stew is steaming hot, the sauce glossy, and the parsley bright on top.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Serve the egyptian rabbit stew hot in deep bowls, with steamed rice to soak up the sauce and baladi bread on the side for mopping the plate clean.
Egypt
1h 15m
