“Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you got ’til it’s gone?” I bought a frozen rabbit a while back, nostalgic for France. It was so expensive! And I thought quite small.
When I thawed it today before cooking, it seemed so small that I wondered if it was squirrel instead of rabbit because you see, unlike in France, the head was missing. So now I understand the French obsession with head on rabbits. “One never knows, do one”?
Anyway. I had a long chat yesterday with Gina, owner of a furniture consignment store on Main Street. We discussed our concerns about the quality of food products in the U.S. She and her husband both grew up on farms and continue to feed themselves and their children from their own garden. She had great tips on meat and fish products. Such a nice lady! Guess what I found on the porch this morning?
The last thing I expected to find in the pantry of a Pennsylvania “home girl” was homemade hot pepper sauce. We had some with butter baked chicken wings last night that were delicious with the sauce! No vinegar overkill, just fresh, spicy, green delight! The local Mexican food restaurant should take note.
In addition, Gina canned some chillies and stewed tomatoes. I decided to use the tomatoes and her gorgeous onions and carrots in a “little” rabbit stew. I’m saving the chillies for nachos 🙂
Remember garlic bread? I finally did yesterday. I have not made it for years, but was inspired by the necessity to rescue a “baguette” I purchased on Main Street. Baguettes are hard to make and the only good ones I’ve had were in Niger and France.
Sprinkle in some garlic powder or crush fresh garlic cloves into softened butter, then slice the loaf, spread on the butter and bake in aluminum foil at 425F for 15-20 minutes.
A Little Rabbit Stew
1 rabbit, cut into quarters
Salt and pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, halved and sliced
2 carrots, halved and sliced
2 celery branches, halved and sliced
1 can chicken broth
Water to cover
1 bouquet garni
4 dried juniper berries
1 handful fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 carrots, halved and sliced
4 large potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
1 quart homemade stewed tomatoes
2 cups fresh green beans, cut into 1 inch pieces
Season the rabbit with salt and pepper, brown in a large stock pot with the olive oil, remove and set aside. Add the onion, carrots and celery to the pot and cook until the onion is soft. Pour in the chicken broth, water and add the bouquet garni, juniper berries, parsley, salt and pepper, bring to a boil, then simmer for 1 hour.
Remove the bouquet garni and toss. Remove the rabbit pieces, separate the meat from the bones, chop and put back into the pot. Add the carrots, potatoes and the stewed tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 20 minutes. Add the green beans and simmer for an additional 10 minutes.
now that is the kind of present i like to receive! what a nice gesture on her part!
It really was jz!
That’s so good M. Parret will want some 🙂
Rabbit head is very good for stock, but spiced and deep fried, it’s a delicacy in Sichuan Province (China). I also have an Italian pasta sauce recipe which calls for 6 rabbit heads. One of these days I hope to be able to get hold of 6 in one go…
I bough my ox tail today and it’s sitting in a soothing casserole bath of herbs and spices.
Dog, heads are only for identification purposes unless you are Chinese or French. Looking forward to seeing your post of the oxtails.
Ha ha – I must be one or the other then 🙂
My oxtail post was a couple of years ago – I didn’t use any different cooking methods yesterday:
http://maddogtvdinners.wordpress.com/2012/03/22/oxtail/
I remember that post! Great recipe. I notice you removed the bones. Okay 🙂
What a fabulous gift! And where did you find a rabbit? I’ve come across rabbit sausage over here but no proper rabbit meat. I have a few dishes in my mind that I can’t make! Your dish looks delicious.
Thank you Virginia. I got the rabbit at Roman’s, whom I do not love and will not get another one there.
Oh dear that doesn’t sound good.
Interesting… there is probably a lot of great traditional American home cooking like that of GIna… but it is out of sight, hidden away.
They’re just living it Colin, not blogging it.
I think Gina sounds wonderful! And in Spain the rabbits ar egeenrally sold with their heads on too. A bit of delicacy, roasted with lots of garlic and olive oil. Goat’s heads get the same treatment – delish!
Gina is so very nice. I’m lucky 🙂
Isn’t is strange how things like duck breasts and rabbits are so tiny here in the U.S. when so large in Europe?
I guess people in the U.S. are not interested enough in these meats. If we were, they would be as big as our mega chickens 🙂
What a thoughtful lady…. and she gave this beautiful fresh produce to the right person! It looks delicious Rosemary 🙂