Somerset Rabbit.
1 Rabbit
2 Tablespoons Flour seasoned with salt and pepper
2oz Lard or oil
1 Onion chopped
1lb Mixed root vegetables, scrubbed and cut into chunks
1 Tablespoon tomato puree
1 Teaspoon Yeast extract, such as Marmite
1/2 Teaspoon Mixed herbs
1/2 pint Cider
1/2 pint Chicken stock
Salt and pepper
METHOD:-
Keep rabbit whole or if it will not fit in casserole, cut in two between hind legs and rib cage and dust over with seasoned flour. Heat lard or oil in a pan and turn rabbit in it until brown. Lift out of fat onto plate.
Fry onion gently to soften. Put rabbit in pan or casserole. Put veg on top and add other ingredients cover with a lid or foil. Either bring to boil and simmer until tender about 1 1/2 hours, or put casserole into a warm oven, gas 3, 325F, 160C, for about 2 hours or until tender. Lift out rabbit, remove all meat from bones and return to pan and re-heat. Serve as a stew with potatoes and green vegetables or with pasta shells.
Serves 4. Goes well under a pie crust or with dumplings. Freezes very well.
Rabbit Casserole
Serves 2-3
Preparation time less than 30 mins
Cooking time 10 to 30 mins
Ingredients
110g/4oz rabbit, diced
85g/3oz seasoned plain flour
2tbsp olive oil
2tsp fresh thyme leaves
30ml/1fl oz white wine
55ml/2fl oz double cream
290ml/½ pint vegetable stock
1 orange, zested
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped
Method
1. Heat the oil in a large pan.
2. Dip the rabbit in the seasoned flour.
3. Add the rabbit to the hot oil and sauté until browned.
4. Add the thyme leaves.
5. Pour in the wine, cream and stock and stir.
6. Add the orange zest.
7. Simmer casserole for 12-15 minutes.
8. Remove casserole from hob and pour into a large dish.
9. Top with chives and serve.
Rabbit with a sting.
Ingredients.
1 rabbit, jointed.
Stinging nettle tips.
Wild mint. *
Wild thyme. *
Mushrooms.
Smoked bacon.
Salt and pepper.
*You can use any herbs you like if these cannot be found.
Method.
Wearing a glove, harvest the tips of the nettles. Take the top inch, including the stalk, fill a carrier bag to about quarter full. Wash them thoroughly and blanch them in boiling water for a few minutes to remove the sting. If you are using wild herbs, wash them and remove the leaves from the stalks.
Now chop the mushrooms.
Take a sheet of tin foil and make a bed of nettles and herbs then season, now lay on some rabbit, then some mushrooms, nettles, herbs and mushrooms, seasoning as you go. You should end up with 2-3 layers, finishing with a layer of nettles.
Wrap loosely to make a parcel and put in the oven at 180C for 35-40 minutes. After 25 minutes, open the foil, baste and leave the foil open so the meat can brown.
Or simply casserole in a good quality tomato soup using fresh vegetables and parsley flavoured dumplings.
basil.