Rabbit Cake

Don’t let the name fool you, this is no dessert. Rabbit cake is old-fashioned Pennsylvania Dutch home cooking, a savory casserole that layers tender rabbit with rich potato filling and bakes until the top turns golden.

Start by simmering the rabbit until the meat slips easily from the bone, then pull it into small pieces. The potato filling, that beloved Dutch mix of mashed potatoes and bread, forms the base and gets layered with the meat.

Between each layer goes a spoonful of quick gravy, just flour whisked into stock, which keeps everything moist and binds the layers as it bakes. Season as you build, since rabbit is lean and mild and needs salt and pepper to wake it up.

It bakes until brown and bubbling, the kind of thrifty, stick-to-your-ribs supper that once stretched a single rabbit into a meal for the whole table.

Kitchen Tips

• Simmer the rabbit low and slow until fork-tender; rushing it leaves the lean meat tough and stringy.
• Season every layer, not just the top, since the mild potato filling and rabbit both need it.
• Whisk the flour into cold stock before adding so the gravy goes on smooth, with no lumps.

Variations

• No rabbit? Bone-in chicken thighs make an easy-to-find stand-in with the same method.
• Stir sauteed onion and celery into the potato filling for more savory depth.
• Tuck in a layer of peas or carrots for color and a touch of sweetness.