Easter. Shhh It's Wabbit season.

 

 

Here's the deal. I have a slightly evil sense of humor. I also really like pushing buttons. Put that together with my culinary sense of adventure and you end up with me doing the kid-hate inducing thing you should never EVER serve at Easter. Unless you're me.
Rabbit used to be common. It still is in the mid-west but just mention it to most Americans and they'll make the ookie face. It's a good lean meat, try it. My version is Italian in origin and uses shallots, dry white wine and lovely fresh herbs. Really easy to do, you'll see.

 

First up, buy a rabbit. I have a source with our butcher at my real job so he brought some in for me. Have him ( or her ) divide it up for you. Point is, rabbit bones are murder on knife edges. I learned that the hard way years ago. Better the butcher's knives get the notches than yours.

 

Mise en Place

One rabbit, divide all pieces into as many smaller pieces as possible. Bone in.

Seasoned flour, salt, black pepper, pinch of Paprika

Finely grated Parmesan

6 large Shallots, quartered

A piece or two of bacon or salt pork, no wrong answers

1 bottle dry white wine. Chardonnay, Fume Blanc...whatever ya got

Bunch of fresh Marjoram

Some Rosemary

Same with Oregano

Also Thyme

Remove leaves but save those stems, tie them together and add those to the pot later. Big fancy Chef word for today is Bouquet garni.

Splash of Olive Oil
Wide ribbon Pasta, pick one.

Start heating up your pan and add your pieces of pork belly, cook those alone for a couple minutes and add a splash of oil

 

Combine the cheese with the seasoned flour. Dredge all pieces 'o' Peter Rabbit and shake off excess.

Start browning off the bunny pieces. Light gold brown

 

For now remove to the side.

 

In the same pan dump in the shallots and start browning those off.

Put the rabbit pieces back add the herbs and dump in the wine to cover. We're braising aren't we? Make sure to scrape up the yummy brown stuff on the bottom of the pan. Check your seasoning ok?

 

 

Thing is rabbit has some tough leg muscle as you might imagine and to make it edible a long cooking time is the order for the day. Bring to a good simmer, cover, and braise until tender. Depending on the size of your egg and jellybean shilling hasenpfeffer this can go anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.

That's ok, gives us time to par-cook the pasta. Boil, drain..blah blah. Gently add the pasta to the pan. Toss lightly.

 

Plate up and garnish with any herbs you have left over.

Let the kids know what they're eating maybe AFTER they hunt for eggs.

Have a blessed and peaceful Easter

Cooking poor, eating rich

Get your grub on

Ciao

 

 

 

Posted with Blogsy

Surviving Lent with prostitutes and anchovies. Puttanesca

Who said dinner during Lent has to be boring? 

This dish is one of my all-time favorites. It's got a great story behind it. In Italian Puttanesca means "whore" isn't that a scream? The story is that this was prepared afterwards to fortify the "customer" before his journey home to the wife. It's a simple, salty, peppery dish of easy to find items in any Italian kitchen. So easy it takes less than an hour to make. Time is money, for prostitutes and Chefs alike. 

 If you don't like Anchovies you're in big trouble. 

 Chef Nick does Pasta alla Puttanesca

Mise-en-place

1 pound of pasta, any shape you like but I prefer Linguine or another strand type

about 8 or so fresh Tomatoes

3 cloves garlic, smooshed

4 Anchovy fillets 

some chopped up Kalamata Olives
1-2 TB of Capers, chopped.
big pinch of red chili flakes
any appropriate fresh herbs, I like Oregano

First step, de-seeding the Tomatoes. Most recipes don't have this step but I just don't like the look of all those seeds floating around in my sauce, if it doesn't bother you then skip ahead. All you need is to core first then cut in half. Squeeze gently over a wire-mesh strainer to remove seeds. This sounds wacky but it's a trick I learned from my old boss Paul Poblate. The flavor of Tomato is actually in the gel that surrounds the seeds, so whenever you remove seeds, strain out the liquid and add it back in at some point. Brightens the whole dish.

and just assemble the rest of your ingredients. 

Now some friendly words about Anchovies. 

I grew up on Anchovies. It's an Italian thing. The salty-fishy-hairy stuff was always a big treat whenever the family got together. I'll just never-ever understand why it generates so much hate. It's a small fish from the Mediterranean that is then dried in salt and packed in oil. It's terrific and such a big part of this dish you just can't make it without. I eat them right out of the can. I also refuse to order pizza from a place that doesn't have this as an option. Seriously. Please, give them a chance. Sing with me. Anchovies Anchovies, they're so delicious, I loves 'em better than all the other fishes. 


Yes, please cook off the pasta before-hand. This sauce is so quick you'll need it fast.

 Next to your stove you have something that looks like this...

Heat up a large pan. HOT if you can't touch it, it's ready. Add a splash of Olive Oil, then the garlic. 

Toss it around and add the Chili Pepper flakes. Be careful not to burn, just take it the point you start to see some color on the garlic. Then add the Anchovy. It will start to dissolve almost instantly. 

Add all the Tomatoes with a good pinch of Black Pepper and a scant pinch of Salt (you don't need much 'cus, yeah Capers and Anchovy have a ton of salt already)

We are still on high heat, the Tomatoes will start to break down (if you saved your tomato gel, add it now) 

Just watch now, once the Tomato stops looking like just chopped Tomato, add the Capers and Olives and any fresh herbs, again, I used Oregano. Still on high heat. Let that all cook down to remove as much water as you can, turn down heat to low. 

Here's why it's smart to pre-cook the pasta. Unlike Americans, Italians know that you add the pasta to the sauce, all that carry-over heat will force the sauce into the pasta and Italian cooking is all about getting the most out of everything. Another good tip, add a splash of the pasta water into your pan. 

That's it friends. Plate that up. Italians always-always-always have bread on hand. Garnish with some chopped herbs if ya like. Admit it, you'd visit a prostitute if you knew you'd get served this after. 

Cooking poor, eating rich

get your grub on

Ciao