Rabbit Stew Preserves in Jars

Cut rabbit meat (1 kg) into small pieces, trimming away coarse membranes and overly tough parts. If you want the meat softer, mix it ahead with part of the table salt (10 g) and black pepper (4 g), cover it, and leave it in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.

Prepare 2-3 clean jars of about 450-500 ml each. Put part of the bay leaf (2 g) and some black pepper (4 g) on the bottom of each jar. Fill the jars about halfway with rabbit meat (1 kg), add part of the table salt (10 g), then add the remaining meat and distribute the rest of the salt and pepper on top. Do not compress the pieces too tightly, so the juices can release freely during baking.

Cover the jars loosely with lids and place them into a deep baking dish with hot water reaching about halfway up the jars. Put the dish into a cold oven, set the temperature to 180°C, and cook the stew for 3 hours. The finished rabbit meat should be very tender, easy to separate into fibers, and fully covered with hot juices. Remove the jars, seal them tightly at once, cover them with a towel while cooling, and store them in a cool dark place.