Rabbit Pot Pie with Flaky Herb Pastry

Made with Seafox Farm rabbit.

Rabbit pot pie is one of our favorite comfort foods. Tender rabbit, earthy mushrooms, fresh vegetables, and a rich wine gravy come together beneath a flaky, aromatic herb pastry crust for a meal that is hearty, satisfying, and nourishing.

This recipe takes a little more time than many of our others, but each step is straightforward and uses accessible ingredients. The braising process creates tender meat, a flavorful broth for the filling, and even leaves you with extra stock for future soups and stews.

This can also be a great recipe for serving rabbit to people who may not have tried it before. The meat becomes exceptionally tender and blends naturally into the filling. As with any recipe prepared from a whole rabbit, there is a little more hands-on preparation involved, but the meat becomes especially easy to work with.

This recipe combines elements from many traditional versions — with a special thank‑you to Peak to Plate for the basis of this.

Yield

Serves: 3–4

Rabbit Pot Pie Ingredients

(1) Braised Rabbit and Rabbit Stock

1 whole dressed rabbit (about 3 lbs)
½ cup white wine (or Seafox Farm apple wine)
2–3 sprigs fresh thyme
Vegetable scraps from the below filling preparation (carrot peels, celery leaves, onion skins, mushroom trimmings, garlic ends)
Chicken stock, preferably low sodium

(2) Flaky Herb Pastry

2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
93 g cold butter, cut into small cubes
¼ cup cold water
¼ cup cold milk
1 tbsp milk, for brushing
1 egg, whisked
2 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves removed from stems
Pinch of salt

(3) Filling

8–10 oz mushrooms, diced
¼ cup butter
1 cup carrots, diced
1 cup yellow onion or shallot, diced
½ cup celery, diced
2–3 garlic cloves, minced
3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
½ cup dry white wine (or Seafox Farm apple wine)
⅓ cup all-purpose flour
2 cups reserved rabbit broth
½ cup half-and-half
Salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
4 cups shredded rabbit meat (from above)
½ cup frozen peas (optional)
½ tsp tarragon (optional)

Equipment

Large stock pot or Dutch oven
Large skillet or sauté pan
Large mixing bowl
Chef’s knife
Cutting board
Wooden spoon
Whisk
Rolling pin
9-inch pie dish
Pastry brush
Baking sheet

Method

(1) Braised Rabbit and Rabbit Stock

Prepare the vegetables for the filling before cooking the rabbit so that the scraps can be used to flavor the broth.
Place the whole rabbit into a pot deep enough for it to be fully covered with liquid.
Add the vegetable scraps, wine, and thyme.
Pour in enough chicken stock to completely cover the rabbit and vegetables.
Bring to a gentle simmer. Slightly cover and cook until the meat is very tender and easy to shred (about 2-3 hours.) Longer cooking generally produces even better results.
Remove the rabbit from the pot and allow it to cool until comfortable to handle.
Reserve 2 cups of broth for the pie filling.
Remove the meat from the rabbit and shred it into bite-sized pieces. Set aside until needed. Refrigerate if assembling the pie later.
Optional: Return the bones to the remaining broth and continue simmering for several more hours. Strain the liquid and you’ll have a rich rabbit stock for future use.

(2) Flaky Herb Pastry

This enriched shortcrust pastry is firm enough to support a hearty filling while remaining flaky and tender. It also happens to be the same pastry we use for our Cornish pasties!

In a large bowl, sift the flour and combine salt.
Add the cold butter and rub it into the flour by hand until the mixture resembles coarse breadcrumbs and no large pieces of butter remain.
Stir in the thyme leaves (or other herbs! Feel free to experiment. Tarragon, rosemary, etc. are all fun to play with at this stage!)
Make a well in the center and add enough of the cold water and milk mixture to form a firm dough. Handle the dough as little as possible. Overworking pastry can make it tough once baked.
Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.
Preheat the oven to 425°F.
Lightly flour your work surface, rolling pin, and hands.
Divide the dough into two pieces, approximately ⅔ for the bottom crust and ⅓ for the top crust.
Roll the larger piece into a rough circle large enough to line pie dish.
Butter pie dish to help reduce risk of later sticking.
Transfer to the pie dish and prick the surface several times with a fork, to help prevent air bubbles from forming between the pie and the dish.
Bake for 10–15 minutes.
Remove and set aside while preparing the filling.

(3) Filling

The filling is very forgiving. Adjust the vegetables, mushroom varieties, and even the size of your dice to suit your preferences! We mainly used baby bella mushrooms, but love to experiment with other types when we have them available!

Heat a large cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook for 4–5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they release their moisture and begin to reabsorb it. Remove the mushrooms and set aside.
Reduce heat to low and melt the butter.
Add the carrots, onion, celery, garlic, thyme, and any other optional herbs. Stir to coat in butter until they are beginning to soften (about 4-5 minutes).
Increase heat to medium-high. Add the wine and mushrooms. Simmer until most of the wine has been absorbed into the vegetables (4-5 minutes).
Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and stir continuously for 1–2 minutes.
Slowly add the reserved broth and half-and-half, stirring constantly. Simmer until the mixture reaches the consistency of a light gravy (5-7 minutes.) It should not be too thick or too thin.
Remove the thyme sprigs.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Stir in the shredded rabbit and optional peas.
Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

(4) Assembly and Baking

Preheat the oven to 425°F if it is no longer warm.
Whisk the egg and brush a thin layer over the pre-baked crust. This helps create a moisture barrier and prevents a soggy bottom.
Spoon the filling into the crust and spread evenly.
Roll out the remaining dough into a rough circle and place it over the filling. Trim any excess dough. Crimp the edges using your preferred method.
Cut several vents in the top crust.
Brush the top lightly with the remaining egg wash.
Place the pie dish on a sheet pan to catch any drips.
Bake for 5 minutes
Cover the edges with aluminum foil or a pie shield.
Continue baking for 15 minutes.
Remove the foil or pie shield and bake further until the crust is golden brown and the filling is bubbling (about 15-20 minutes).
Allow the pie to cool for about 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

To Serve

This rabbit pot pie is hearty and robust enough to stand on its own, but we like serving it with something fresh and crisp to balance the richness.

Some favorites are:

Arugula
Raw bell peppers
Green peas
A simple green salad with vinaigrette

Notes

Wine: Don’t feel like you need an expensive bottle to get great flavor! We used one of the cheapest Chardonnays we could find and the pie turned out wonderfully. Seafox Farm apple wine also works nicely and adds a subtle apple note.
Thinking about trying rabbit for the first time? This recipe can be a good introduction because the meat becomes very tender during the braise and blends naturally into the filling.
The stock is a bonus. Don’t throw away the remaining braising liquid. Once strained, it becomes an excellent rabbit stock that freezes well and can be used in soups, stews, gravies, and future pot pies!
Have fun with it! Like mushrooms? Add more. Prefer rosemary to thyme? Give it a try. The filling is flexible and easy to adapt to your own tastes.
Seafox Farm Tip: We often double the pastry recipe and make extra filling so we can also prepare a batch of Cornish pasties using the same ingredients.

For more information about sourcing, availability, and Seafox Farm products, visit Seafox Farm for Our Approach and our Rabbit products, or Contact Us!

Tried this dish? Tell us how it turned out, share your variations, or ask any questions you have in the comments below!