rabbit stifado with caramelised onions,red wine,cinnamon & currants

[moikel]

OK I have seen a few rabbit dishes lately on the forum which is a great thing.

This is my contribution . It has a bit of a story with it

,no surprises there for those who have read some of my other posts.

My favourite TV chef & travel presenter is Rick Stein followed very closely by Anthony Bourdain.

Rick did a TV series on the Mediterranean where he show cased Corsica,Sardinia,Sicily,Morocco,Turkey,Puglia & Corfu .

In Corfu he met a chef called Nikos who was born in New York but came back to his family home town in his 20s after chef school. 

He had an accent that sounded like he belonged in the Sopranos.

Anyway he ran a little place doing very traditional greek food ,packed every day,not fancy  just good honest authentic cooking.

This dish was the house special.

Its essentially a braise,got a little Middle Eastern vibe to it. 

I will make it as per the cook book.Then take it across town to the GF house for dinner.

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Apr 25, 2014

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• moikel
• Apr 26, 2014

I had shallots so its a mix of small brown onions & shallots. Pan fried in butter ,for a while until you get good colour on them then a splash of water 1 tab sugar give it a good shake ,season salt & pepper,cook until soft.Remove set aside.

This is a fat farmed rabbit ,saved kidney fat for braise.

Joint rabbit dust in seasoned flour then fry until coloured on casserole.I am using a french sauté because its easier to transport the whole deal later.

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Apr 26, 2014

OK its 55 minutes on simmer from here. Gentle ,partly covered until rabbit soft & sauce reduced.

It goes like this,dust bits of rabbit in seasoned flour,then fry until browned .In batches if need be.

Then add 50ml red wine vinegar,let that bubble then add 600ml red wine, a cinnamon stick, 6 cloves 2 bay leaves sprinkle of salt,cbp.

Grind together 6 all spice berries 1/2 teaspoon black pepper.

Add that ,& a can of tomatoes chopped. 50gm currants,I found mine were past it so I used raisins .

When its done  put onions & any pan juices back in simmer 5 minutes.

 

[moikel]

Sorry I missed something .Before adding red wine vinegar add 5 cloves chopped garlic gently fry just for a minute or so.

 

[foamheart]

Dang Mic, its 1 AM here and ya making me hungry!

 

[moikel]

2 hours until dinner here.

.

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• moikel
• Apr 26, 2014

Thats it done just cooling off so I can truck it to the GFs house.

Little sweet so I bumped the vinegar. 

When I  saw this guy cook it he really coloured the onions ,they were dark.

I just followed that lead. 

To me its a really interesting combo of flavours , this was a biggish rabbit farmed not wild.If I was using wild I might add some chicken fat or similar. 

 

[moikel]

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• moikel
• Apr 26, 2014

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• moikel
• Apr 26, 2014

 

[moikel]

This was really good,seriously good. It does have a big of an Eastern feel. All spice isn't a spice I think of with Greek food,GF thought it was a bit Morocan .
I suppose its a reflection of the trading routes around the Med.
I made it strictly as per the recipe . Can't see any reason to change it after that meal.

 

[dirtsailor2003]

Looks tasty Mick! I don't even have a butcher here that has rabbit. I'd have to go pluck one out of the desert. The wild ones in my neck of the woods taste a bit like sage, they live in it and eat quite a bit of it.

 

[foamheart]

Wow Mic, That looks really good. Ya know you cook like that and she'll be driving to your house instead of the opposite. Onions, sweet taters, and greens, I mean you have the perfect orchestra to back up that rabbit!

That really looks good!

 

[leah elisheva]

Well Happy Saturday Mate!

You are a ROCK STAR with great food!!! INCREDIBLE! As always!

Cheers!!! - Leah

 

[moikel]

Glad you all liked it. Photos not great had to use the I phone.
My late fathers generation associated rabbit with hard times ,so didn't eat it much later in life. But that was wild rabbit which can be tough & dry.
The farmed guys are a different deal altogether.Very meaty & sweet,I salvaged all the fat from inside it& fried it in the EVO..
I do a French dish of rabbit & prunes that will get rolled out as well.
You are very kind Leah but I did just cook this by the book after all. Funny thing was after Rick Stein met Nikkos the transplanted NewYorker he then met a lady who had grown up in Australia .She had a stall at the market where she sold wild greens she foraged for. She was back livin g on the family farm very simply ,probably live to a100.

 

[deuce]

Looks Awesome!! That is a big rabbit!! Thanks for the idea.

 

[moikel]

He was around the 1.7 kg mark.

 
Looks Awesome!! That is a big rabbit!! Thanks for the idea.

About 1.7kg ,hard to find at the moment.

Great staple for the Greeks,Maltese,French et  al.. Raised like chickens.You could take them live on  trading ships ,eat them as you needed them.