Girl Hunter Part 35

const.i.tuted (optional)

1/4 cup port wine

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

2 cups game bird stock (page 212) or turkey stock (page 214)

2 tablespoons creme fraiche or sour cream

1/2 teaspoon chili paste

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

To Marinate: 1. Bring the brandy and wine to a boil for 3 minutes to burn off the alcohol. Turn off the heat and let cool to room temperature.

2. Meanwhile, combine the carrot, celery, onion, and mushrooms in a food processor and blend until minced. You may have to do it in batches to get an even blend.

3. Add the minced vegetables, bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, juniper berries, and garlic to the wine while it cools.

4. Trim the hare parts of any excess tissue or hair and place in a nonreactive bowl. Pour the liquid over the hare once it comes to room temperature, and cover. Chill in the refrigerator overnight.

To Stew: 1. Remove the hare from the marinade and set aside on a plate. Strain the liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a small saucepot. Reserve the marinade ingredients and bring the liquid to a simmer. A foam raft will form as the liquid bubbles. Skim this off with a ladle and let it continue to bubble until the foam no longer forms and the liquid is fully clarified. Turn off the heat and let the liquid sit.

2. Heat two separate skillets or large saute pans on the stove top. Place 4 tablespoons of the b.u.t.ter in one and heat until it begins to bubble. Place the bacon in the other and let it render slowly. As the b.u.t.ter bubbles in the first saute pan, sprinkle the hare parts with salt, pepper, and flour and place them in the skillet. You may need to do this in batches so as not to crowd the pan, and you can add the remaining 4 tablespoons of b.u.t.ter as you brown the hare and the pan dries out. Brown the parts on both sides and transfer them to a clean plate once they are well browned. Leave the skillet on the stove top and turn off the heat.

3. Preheat the oven to 300F. As the bacon renders in the second skillet, add the pearl onions and let them brown. Once the bacon is crispy and the onions well browned, add the minced vegetable mixture from the marinade. Saute the vegetables and let them cook and render their juices. Sprinkle with a bit of salt and pepper.

4. Place the rabbit parts back into their skillet and add the vegetables, bacon, and pearl onions from the other skillet so they are distributed evenly. Add the mushrooms here, if using, along with the port, cloves, nutmeg, ground pepper, and ginger. Pour in the clarified marinade and add additional stock as necessary until the liquid comes almost to the top of the meat. Cover with tinfoil and place in the oven. Braise for 2 to 3 hours for a hare or slightly less for rabbit, until the meat falls off the bone.

5. You have the option now, once the meat cools slightly, to pick the meat off of the bones and return it to the pan. This is ideal for the texture and final eating experience and doesn't take much effort, but you can skip it if you are short on time. Either way, finish this dish by stirring in the creme fraiche, chili paste, and parsley, and serve.

Also try: duck legs, pheasant legs, squirrel

Braised Rabbit with Olives and Preserved Lemon

Serves 4 This rabbit dish is light and tangy, with a hint of Provence and the Mediterranean. The preserved lemon needs to be made in advance, but can be skipped in a pinch and replaced with blanched lemon zest, or it can be purchased at a specialty spice store. When butchering your own rabbit or hare, whether wild or domestic, be sure to wear gloves. One in a million carries the tularemia virus, which you should avoid direct contact with.

1 whole rabbit, cut into serving pieces

1/2 large onion, cut into chunks

1 medium-size carrot, cut in half lengthwise and then into 1-inch pieces

1 celery stalk, cut into 1-inch pieces

3 cloves garlic, crushed

1 bouquet garni (see Note)

1/2 (750 ml) bottle white wine

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon b.u.t.ter

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 cups game bird stock (page 212) or turkey stock (page 214)

Zest of 1/2 preserved lemon (page 236), well rinsed and julienned

1/4 cup Nicoise, kalamata, or mixed olives

1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary