I just wanted to post about a new find for me and I feel that the photos I am going to include may be offensive to non meat eaters & sensitive meat eaters… so be warned.
A few weeks ago we celebrated our wedding anniversary with a weekend, or rather 25 hours, without the kids. Wow, a whole 25 hours – it was bliss but it was GREAT to see them when we arrived home :). We went to a very expensive (for us) restaurant and I think I shocked Pete by ordering rabbit. He could not believe it and couldn’t wait to tell his Dad that I paid $32 for rabbit. I wish I had taken a photo of his face! I expressed interest in learning to cook with it and we had a good laugh about it but Pete told the guys at work about it. Lots of the guys at Pete’s work go shooting on a regular basis and, when I say go shooting, I mean go out and get a few rabbit or a deer to eat. I don’t think they shoot indiscriminately or wastefully if you get what I mean. One of the guys sent Pete a text on Thursday night to see if I’d like a rabbit or two as he had just shot and skinned some. Pete passed on the message and I eagerly accepted. You see, the block has many many rabbits residing on it and I feel it’s a waste just to poison them all so why not eat them? From now on I am going to get the guys to shoot “our” rabbits when we are not around (see how brave I am 🙂 !).
So, on Friday night Pete came home with this:
which I gingerly unwrapped and found this:
To be honest it made me feel a little queasy but I was up for the challenge and out came Stephanie Alexander, the stock pot, celery, carrot, peppercorns, parsley, thyme, onion, lemon rind, a bay leaf & water to cover the lot. I simmered it on the stove top for 1 1/2 hours & then let it cool in the pot as per Stephanie’s instructions:
Once cool, I pulled the meat from the bones mixed it with almonds, parsley, bacon, mushrooms & a sauce made from the stock with lemon juice & cream. A home made short crust pastry finished it off but there are no more photos of what was one of the most amazing cooking feats I have ever achieved – the pie was DELICIOUS and our guests really enjoyed it too! (I ran out of time & we bought a swing set from Wodonga & we had to pick it up Saturday afternoon so time was tight)
I think we could eat rabbit once a week – it would lessen our ecological footprint through the consumption of less red meat, it’s low fat, it’s prefect for cooking in dishes I like to cook (i.e. slow cooking, stews, stocks, pies), we have loads of it on the block that needs to be removed, other people LIKE to kill & skin them (although I think I’ll have to learn this), they are a pest, they are free so, if I can grow the vegetables it will make very “cheap” healthy meals & last but not least, it’s YUMMY!
4 December , 2008 at 4:02 pm
Wow Beck thats awesome!! All sounds perfectly good and sensible to me. I have memories of my mum making rabbit stew and passing it off as chicken, I would have been horrified then at the thought of eating my fluffy white pets’ furry friends but I would definitely dish it up to my children now, ha ha !
4 December , 2008 at 4:02 pm
Above from Jane!
4 December , 2008 at 11:01 pm
Bec, in spite of DH hunting these feral pests off our block and off his father’s place, I’ve never eaten rabbit. He used to earn good pocket money as a teenager by shooting them and selling them to the butcher. Like all good WWII kids, his father ate nothing but rabbit and won’t touch it with a bargepole. Whatever they kill now is a tasty treat for the pooches.
However, all this talk of thyme and mushrooms and lemon juice and cream makes me think I should reassess my nonchalant attitude. It’s not that I’m opposed or repulsed by the idea of eating rabbit, it’s just never really occurred to me.
Lisa x
p.s. I had a run in with that author a few years ago which ended rather badly….I think at the time I swore black and blue I would never ever ever use any of her work…..
never say never right?
5 December , 2008 at 9:07 am
How Yummy Bec….I remember Mum used to make rabbit casseroles all the time when we were younger….mind you I have not had rabbit for years, but remember it was nice. Your pot of rabbit cooking looks great
28 January , 2009 at 10:24 am
Our rabbits used to come from Springhurst, which is not far from Beechworth. I found Beverly Sutherland Smith’s Rabbit with Onions really nice.
28 January , 2009 at 10:26 am
I think I will post the recipe, I already have it typed out.