Spanish Stew

Bring a taste of Spain to your table with this rustic stew, pairing rabbit and Spanish chorizo—a dry-cured sausage that boasts smoky and mildly spicy flavors. You can swap in chicken legs or thighs for the rabbit if you wish. The dish is easy to make thanks to our Tomato Olive Chicken Braising Sauce, a blend of tomatoes, Manzanilla olives and spices. Simply brown the rabbit and chorizo on the stovetop, add fresh fennel and garlic cloves, and pour in the braising sauce. Then slow-cook everything in the oven until the rabbit is fork-tender. Serve with crusty bread or steamed rice to soak up the savory sauce.

Ingredients:

  • 3 lb. (1.5 kg) bone-in, skin-on chicken or rabbit legs or thighs
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 2 Tbs. avocado oil, plus more if needed
  • 1 lb. (500 g) Spanish chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch (12-mm) slices
  • 2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch (2.5-cm) wedges
  • 8 large garlic cloves, smashed and peeled
  • 2 jars (each 25.6 oz./726 g) Williams Sonoma Tomato Olive Chicken Braising Sauce
  • 2 cups (16 fl. oz./500 ml) water
  • Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley for garnish
  • Crusty bread or steamed rice for serving

Directions:

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C).

Season the rabbit all over with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat, warm the avocado oil. Working in batches, add the rabbit and sear, turning occasionally, until browned all over, 8 to 10 minutes per batch, adding more oil to the pot between batches if needed. Transfer to a platter.

Add the chorizo to the pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Transfer to the platter with the rabbit. Add the fennel to the pot and sear, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 2 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until fragrant, about 1 minute.

Add the braising sauce and water, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Return the rabbit to the pot, then nestle in the chorizo. Some of the rabbit pieces may not be fully submerged in the liquid, and that’s okay.

Cover the pot tightly with aluminum foil, then cover with the lid. Transfer to the oven and cook until the rabbit is fork-tender, 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Skim the fat off the sauce. Garnish the stew with parsley and serve with crusty bread or rice. Serves 8.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen