While I was in England I had a wonderful opportunity to expand&explore my culinary skills. One of the lovely dishes I decided to make was way out of my comfort zone, but I decided to give it a go any way,
'Rabbit Stew', a very European Dish, and one personally that I had never tried. This wasn't my first time making a Stew, but it was my first time making it with rabbit and being that I had never tried rabbit before I was apprehensive, but venturing forth...onward! The rabbit had been passed up in the freezer by any, and every other meat that I could find, and it was the only thing left; so here went nothing. I sourced out a recipe online. Found one that seemed easy enough to follow; good ole BBC>>>>http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/old_fashioned_rabbit_74225 and carried on. As they say "Keep Calm and make Rabbit Stew" well they don't really say that, but there you go....and here is how it went....Ingredients:
3 tbsp plain flour ( I used spelt flour )
2 tsp dried thyme, or 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves ( I used rosemary)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
15g/½oz butter ( I didn't use any butter)
2-3 tbsp sunflower oil ( I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil..always do!)
1 large farmed rabbit or 2 young wild rabbits, jointed into 8 pieces
6 rashers rindless smoked streaky bacon, cut into 2cm/¾in squares (I didn't use any)
2 onions, chopped
500ml/17fl oz dry cider ( I replaced this with Guinness...thought it went better with the rabbit)
300ml/10fl oz chicken or vegetable stock ( I made my own Veg. Stock)
2 bay leaves ( I didn't use any)
350g/12oz chantenay carrots, peeled
( I used carrots...I'm not sure what kind they were, but they were orange )
150g/5oz frozen peas ( I skipped the peas and used potatoes instead)
*I am not sure what it is about the English but they are awfully fond of their 'Peas' they add them to every dish it seems....I say live on the wild side....change it up a bit.
Oh and I also added a garlic clove and a dollop of honey too!
So basically I changed the whole recipe lol
Preparation method:
1. Place the flour, thyme and a good pinch of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper in a large freezer bag. Put the rabbit portions into the bag, a few at a time, and shake well until evenly coated in the seasoned flour. Transfer to a plate
<I put my flour and seasonings into a bowl and tossed the Rabbit in the mixture.>
2.Melt the butter with one tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the rabbit, a few pieces at a time, until golden-brown all over. Put all the front and rear leg portions into a flameproof casserole dish.
3.Transfer the saddle pieces to a plate, cover loosely and set aside (these will need less cooking time, so can be added later on). Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2
4.Add a little more oil to the pan and cook the bacon until the fat is browned and beginning to crisp. Add the bacon to the casserole dish.Add a dash more oil to the frying pan and fry the onion for 5-7 minutes, or until lightly browned and beginning to soften. Add the onions to the casserole, sprinkle with any flour remaining in the freezer bag and stir until well combined.
<Once the Rabbit was golden I added the honey...>
<Then I added the Guinness...clearly.>
<..and the rosemary>
5.Pour half of the cider into the frying pan and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to lift any sediment from the bottom. Simmer for a few seconds then pour into the casserole. Add the rest of the cider and the stock. Stir the bay leaves into the casserole, cover with a lid and cook in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes.
6.Remove the casserole from the oven, add the reserved saddle pieces and carrots, turn all the rabbit portions, ensuring that as much of the meat is covered by liquid as possible. (Not all the meat will be covered.) Return to the oven for a further hour.
7.Take the casserole out of the oven after one hour and check the rabbit – the meat should be starting to fall off the bone when the rabbit is ready. Poke the leg portions and the saddle pieces with a knife and if it doesn’t slide in easily, return the casserole to the oven. Check again for tenderness and turn the rabbit portions every 30 minutes or so
8.When the rabbit is tender, skim off any fat that may have risen to the top of the casserole with a large spoon. Carefully transfer the casserole to the hob. Bring to a fast simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the liquid reduces to a slightly thickened, gravy-like consistency. Stir in the frozen peas and simmer for a further three minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve..
I do have to say.....I did a really great job of this!....and being that it was my first time eating rabbit...Not Bad, if I do say so myself!
"Happy Easter Everyone!"~C.C.
http://www.hub-uk.com/tallyrecip02/recipe0069.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/old_fashioned_rabbit_74225
another lovely recipe by bbc.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/rabbitandpearlbarley_89209..
2 tsp dried thyme, or 2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme leaves ( I used rosemary)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
15g/½oz butter ( I didn't use any butter)
2-3 tbsp sunflower oil ( I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil..always do!)
1 large farmed rabbit or 2 young wild rabbits, jointed into 8 pieces
6 rashers rindless smoked streaky bacon, cut into 2cm/¾in squares (I didn't use any)
2 onions, chopped
500ml/17fl oz dry cider ( I replaced this with Guinness...thought it went better with the rabbit)
300ml/10fl oz chicken or vegetable stock ( I made my own Veg. Stock)
2 bay leaves ( I didn't use any)
350g/12oz chantenay carrots, peeled
( I used carrots...I'm not sure what kind they were, but they were orange )
150g/5oz frozen peas ( I skipped the peas and used potatoes instead)
*I am not sure what it is about the English but they are awfully fond of their 'Peas' they add them to every dish it seems....I say live on the wild side....change it up a bit.
Oh and I also added a garlic clove and a dollop of honey too!
So basically I changed the whole recipe lol
Preparation method:
1. Place the flour, thyme and a good pinch of salt and plenty of freshly ground black pepper in a large freezer bag. Put the rabbit portions into the bag, a few at a time, and shake well until evenly coated in the seasoned flour. Transfer to a plate
<I put my flour and seasonings into a bowl and tossed the Rabbit in the mixture.>
2.Melt the butter with one tablespoon of the oil in a large heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat. Fry the rabbit, a few pieces at a time, until golden-brown all over. Put all the front and rear leg portions into a flameproof casserole dish.
3.Transfer the saddle pieces to a plate, cover loosely and set aside (these will need less cooking time, so can be added later on). Preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2
4.Add a little more oil to the pan and cook the bacon until the fat is browned and beginning to crisp. Add the bacon to the casserole dish.Add a dash more oil to the frying pan and fry the onion for 5-7 minutes, or until lightly browned and beginning to soften. Add the onions to the casserole, sprinkle with any flour remaining in the freezer bag and stir until well combined.
<Once the Rabbit was golden I added the honey...>
<Then I added the Guinness...clearly.>
<..and the rosemary>
5.Pour half of the cider into the frying pan and stir vigorously with a wooden spoon to lift any sediment from the bottom. Simmer for a few seconds then pour into the casserole. Add the rest of the cider and the stock. Stir the bay leaves into the casserole, cover with a lid and cook in the centre of the oven for 45 minutes.
6.Remove the casserole from the oven, add the reserved saddle pieces and carrots, turn all the rabbit portions, ensuring that as much of the meat is covered by liquid as possible. (Not all the meat will be covered.) Return to the oven for a further hour.
7.Take the casserole out of the oven after one hour and check the rabbit – the meat should be starting to fall off the bone when the rabbit is ready. Poke the leg portions and the saddle pieces with a knife and if it doesn’t slide in easily, return the casserole to the oven. Check again for tenderness and turn the rabbit portions every 30 minutes or so
8.When the rabbit is tender, skim off any fat that may have risen to the top of the casserole with a large spoon. Carefully transfer the casserole to the hob. Bring to a fast simmer and cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the liquid reduces to a slightly thickened, gravy-like consistency. Stir in the frozen peas and simmer for a further three minutes. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper and serve..
I do have to say.....I did a really great job of this!....and being that it was my first time eating rabbit...Not Bad, if I do say so myself!
"Happy Easter Everyone!"~C.C.
~Cycling Cafe's Diva
"Uniting a Community; one Cyclist at a time"
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http://www.hub-uk.com/tallyrecip02/recipe0069.htm
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/old_fashioned_rabbit_74225
another lovely recipe by bbc.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes/rabbitandpearlbarley_89209..
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