A true South Limburg Christmas classic: rabbit in sour sauce, a sweet-and-sour stew served around the festive season. The legs first marinate overnight in a spiced vinegar marinade, and the sauce is thickened with gingerbread and apple syrup. Every family has its own version; this is a good base on which to build yours.
Rabbit, Limburg style (Knien in ’t zoer)
Region: Limburg
Rabbit, Limburg style (Knien in ’t zoer)
Region: Limburg
Method
01
Marinate
Place the rabbit legs in a dish. Add all the marinade ingredients and make sure the legs are completely covered. Leave to marinate in the fridge overnight.
02
Brown
Take the legs out of the marinade (keep the marinade!) and pat dry. Brown them on both sides in butter in a casserole.
03
Braise
Pour the marinade back over the meat, add the apple syrup and simmer gently for about 3 hours until the meat is tender.
04
Thicken the sauce
Take out the legs and strain the marinade. Crumble the gingerbread into the sauce to thicken it and season with pepper and salt.
05
Serve
Serve with the sauce, traditionally with frites and apple sauce. Sauce not thick enough? Stir in a slurry of 1 tbsp potato starch with a little cold water.
Tips & notes
Like zuurvlees, this tastes even better the next day; feel free to make it a day ahead and reheat gently. Keeps for 3–4 days in the fridge, and freezes very well (up to 3 months); the flavour often deepens further by the next day.
Variations
- Replace the rabbit with hare for a jugged-hare-style winter variant.
- Add some currants to the marinade for extra sweetness, as is customary in some South Limburg families.
Contains:
Milk
Sulphites
Gluten
Serve with
| Calories | 613 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 24 g |
| Carbohydrates | 126 g |
| Fat | 8 g |
| Fibre | 34 g |
Estimated values, calculated from standard nutritional values per ingredient.
