Souper Tuesday: Hasenpfeffer, or Rabbit Stew

“Bring me my Hasenpfeffer!”
Recipe:
1 rabbit, cut into quarters
4 slices bacon, diced
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp paprika
1/2 black pepper
1 onion, diced
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup red wine diluted with 1 cup water
2 bay leaves
3 sprigs Rosemary
1 tsp thyme
1 Tbsp parsley
3 potatoes, diced
3 carrots, diced
1 stalk celery, diced

Brown bacon in dutch oven until crumbly. Remove bacon, reserve for use. Add salt, paprika and pepper to flour in a deep dish; mix well. Coat each piece of rabbit with flour mix. Brown rabbit in bacon grease, half at a time, for 5 minutes on each side. Remove and set aside. Caramelize onion for 5 minutes in bacon grease (add more fat if needed). Add garlic and any remaining flour. Stir in diluted wine. Drop in bay leaves, and return rabbit to pot. Bring to boil, cover and simmer for about an hour until rabbit is tender. Remove rabbit to cool. Add potatoes, carrots and celery to pot. Bring to boil; simmer 20 minutes or until veggies are done. (Add more water if necessary to cover.) Meanwhile, shred rabbit meat. When veggies are done, add rabbit meat and reserved bacon crumbles to the stew. Keep warm until ready to serve.