Retro 2: Rabbit with prunes and dark ale (Orval)

They say crises make people hark back to The Old & The Traditional. Hence perhaps my fascination with the Homarus cookbook, The kitchen of our mom - De keuken van ons moeder. My first rabbit dish from this book is a true retro move.

"Do cut it in pieces," I begged the Fowl & Game specialty store, when the lady behind the counter pulled a long, skinned and blood-stained rabbit from the fridge. I was too squeamish to take home the head.

Notes:
I used an abbey dark beer, Orval. An amateur of this beer told me that a less pronounced amber-colored or dark ale may better suit the strong-tasting rabbit.
And I did not follow the recipe of this mom, Nicole van Geel, faithfully: no vinegar, no sugar at all. So my sauce did not have the brown consistency of molasses. I give the recipe as is, with changes.
Rabbit with prunes and dark ale (Orval)

1 rabbit
2 big onions, sliced
2 dl vinegar
butter (2 tablespoons)
5 bay leaves
2 tablespoons mustard
2 zwieback (I used 1 slice of bread)
a swig of vinegar (I used lemon juice)
salt and pepper
250 g dried prunes
dark instant binding agent (I used flour)
200 g dark candied sugar (*)
My addition: 25 cl dark ale (Orval)
My addition: some slices of bacon, some mixed mushrooms

Cut the rabbit in pieces, put the pieces in a bowl, coat with the slices of onion, drench with the 2 dl of vinegar and let marinate overnight in the fridge (I skipped this part).

Remove the rabbit from the fridge, drain, pat dry. Melt some butter and brown the rabbit pieces on all sides.

My addition: after frying the rabbit, I briefly fried the bacon and the mushrooms, then transferred that with the rabbit to the cooking pot.

Add water (and ale) to the rabbit until nearly submersed. Add the bay leaf, the zwieback or bread coated with mustard. Bring to a soft boil, then cover, and let simmer for 1-1,5 hours.

Add the swig of vinegar when the meat is almost done, and season.

Bring some water to a boil. Turn off the heat, add the dried prunes to the water to soften them (I skipped that - I added the prunes towards the end of rabbit cooking time).

Remove the rabbit from the cooking pot. Bind the sauce with the binding agent and check the seasoning. Add the sugar, and mix well. Pour sauce and prunes over the rabbit, and serve.

(*) I did not add sugar, but reduced the existing sauce somewhat.