RABBITT'S BRAISED RABBIT RAGOUT

I thought it fitting for my first new recipe from Italy to be rabbit. Not sure why, but it seemed 'right'. And when I visited my local market here in Castiglione D'Orcia, in the heart of Tuscany, sure enough I found fresh coniglio for sale.

One of the things different about food shopping in other countries is that meat doesnt generally come cut up and packaged to look like something different from its original self. Here is one half of a rabbit.

I have not cooked domesticated rabbit before, but grew up eating lots of wild rabbit. The wild ones can be fierce little creatures and their flesh can be tough. My Mom used to par-boil them before frying and pan searing in butter and bread crumbs; simple, very moist and delicious! And even though I figured farm raised rabbits were not as tough, I still decided to braise, rather than pan fry.


I cut this rabbit down (thank goodness for the beautiful clever in my rental pantry-VERY impressed!) And then seasoned generously with salt / paper and browned in butter and locally produced olive oil.

Here's the recipe, but please take lots of liberties as I used what I had on hand and I believe one of the most fun parts about cooking is being creative with the ingredients you have available. I think green peas and wild mushrooms would be a tasty addition.

Rabbitt's BRAISED RABBIT RAGOUT aka 
Rabbitt's BRASATO CONIGLIO RAGU

Ingredients:
2-3 pounds rabbit, on the bone
1 Tbsp. Butter, plus more for sautéing veg
4 Tbsp. Olive oil for browning rabbit, plus more for veg
1 large leek, white part only, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, chopped chunky
6 tomatoes, peeled and roughly chopped
3 stalks fennel, not cut up
1/2 cup roasted red pepper
Salt / Pepper
1 cup red wine
2+ cups water (I think chicken stock would be even better.)
1 Tbsp. each: thyme, oregano, rosemary (I would prefer fresh herbs, but did not have them.) These were in my Italian pantry.

Preparation:
Cut rabbit into 4 inch pieces. Liberally salt and pepper. Place butter and olive oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan. Cast iron would work well. Heat til nearly smoking. Brown rabbit on all sides and set aside. I used the head because it came with the rabbit, but if your rabbit comes minus the head I do not think that will pose a problem.
Broil Red Pepper:

You can either broil the pepper under the broiler making sure all sides get evenly blackened, or broil right on top of your gas range. I'm not getting a very even broil, but kept moving the pepper on the burner until it eventually got scorched. With tongs, place the pepper in a paper bag and let cool. When it's cool enough to handle, rub off the charred skin, discard seeds and pith. Dice 1/2 cup and set aside. You will have left over pepper.

My adorable kitchen in Tuscany!

The view from my kitchen window! Yes, right next door is a fabulous restaurant. Making friends with the chef and will get a cooking lesson from her next week!

In the same pan you browned the rabbit add 1 Tbsp. Butter and 2 Tbsp. Olive oil. Saute the sliced ​​leeks and garlic over medium high heat until leeks wilt, stirring occasionally. Add herbs and fennel stalks. The fennel adds a little sweetness. Add the red wine and 2 cups water. Reduce heat to very low and allow to cook down while you prepare the tomatoes. Taste for seasoning.

To remove tomato skins:

Bring enough salted water to boil and drop in tomatoes. Boil vigorously until the skins pop. Remove carefully with tongs. Cool. Rub off skins. Remove the hard stem area. Make sure you catch all their juices. Cut tomatoes into chunks and add to the ragout sauce. Keep an eye on the ragout so it does not boil off. Add water (stock) as needed. Now add the browned rabbit. Cover. Cook on low heat for 2 1/2 to 3 hours until the meat flakes off the bones. Check every half hour to make sure you have enough liquid. Cool. Refrigerate overnight. Next day, bring up to temperature on very low heat. Remove from heat and take all the meat off the bone. This is a lot of work and you may need a glass of wine. This is what I had--Il Pozzo, a beautiful, rich sangiovese from the D'Orcia region here in Tuscany. This is also what the rabbit had. Lucky rabbit!

So far, most of the wines I've tasted are very local, all related to the Val D'Orcia region. And so far, all fabulous!

Here's the meat sauce simmering.

Rabbit bones are tiny and it's much more pleasant to eat without having to deal with bones. The best way to remove the meat from the bones is with your fingers, scraping every little bit off the bones. Because you are using your hands you can feel the bones and are able to remove tiny pieces so they do not end up in your sauce. Remove the fennel stalks. Check sauce for seasoning. I served the Rabbit Ragout over fresh, locally made pasta tipico; pasta made with no eggs; just water and farina, and topped with freshly grated local parmesan.

This pasta was light, but also chewy and the perfect foil for my ragout!

ALL FOR TODAY FROM TUSCANY ...

THIS HAPPENS TO BE MY BIRTHDAY AND AM PLEASED TO SAY IT'S BEEN ONE OF MY BEST!

DREAMED FOR MANY YEARS OF BEING IN TUSCANY ON MY BIRTHDAY AND FINALLY HERE I AM!

KEEP COOKING, DREAMING, AND

BELIEVING IN YOURSELF!

HERE ARE A COUPLE MORE SHOTS FROM 
Castiglione d'Orcia!

PLEASE TUNE IN AGAIN SOON FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF CINDY COOKING IN TUSCANY!

WWW.COOKWITHCINDY.COM 

Fabulous tiny restaurant in Castiglione. 
Great attention to detail.

Ficco di maile alle erbe aromatiche

Bow pork with herbs

Oggi si Mangia

La vita e troppo breve per 

mangiare male e bere peggio

Life is too short to eat badly and drink worse.

Baled hay as far as your eyes can see.

CLASSIC IRISH SEAFOOD CHOWDER!

Go into any Irish pub that serves food and you're bound to find Seafood Chowder. It's one of my favorites and after trying about 100 bowls came up with this recipe. I think the broth made with the bones of 3 turbot is in part what made this chowder so yummy, but the bones of any white fish would work well.

IRISH SEAFOOD CHOWDER 

I made the broth a day ahead which made putting this chowder together fairly simple, but there are still quite a few steps.

I was offered the bones of several fish when I purchased a whole turbot at the Galway Farmers Market. Turbot (scientific name: Scophthalmus Maximus) is highly prized for its delicate flavor. It's native to North Atlantic, Mediterranean and Baltic Seas, but is also being farm-raised in the Achille Islands off the western coast of Ireland. Mine was a wild one!

The turbot is front left.

Turbot is a lot like flounder. It's a flat, round bottom feeder. I baked the whole fish in a little butter, white wine, garlic, salt and pepper at 350 degrees  (#6 on my Irish gas range) for 25 minutes. You will know it's done when the meat is opaque and flakes easily. It has the sweetness of lobster. Really delicious! I added my cooked bones to the carcass of 2 more uncooked turbot to make the broth.

TO MAKE BROTH:
Put bones in a big kettle with a mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery; aka the Holy Trinity!). I used leeks instead of onion and also added a big clove of smashed garlic and some herbs (tarragon, thyme, parsley and sage) along with salt and pepper. Cover with water to make about 6 cups. Bring to a boil and then turn down heat and let simmer at least 3 hours. The broth will become reduced to about 4 cups. Cool completely and strain to make a clear broth. Keep covered in fridge until ready to use.

The broth has become gel since I made it day before. That's pure goodness!

Chowder Ingredients:
1 clove garlic, minced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
4 small potatoes, peeled and diced (I used new Irish potatoes.)
1 small onion, peeled and diced
3 cups fish stock
1 cup milk
1/2 cups cream
3 Tbsp. Butter
1/3 cup flour
1 cup mussel broth
1/2 cup white wine
White fish (I used cod.), about 3/4 lb. Cut into bite-sized pieces
Salmon, about 3/4 lb. Cut into bite-sized pieces
Mussels, about 1 cup cooked and removed from shell
Baby shrimp, about 1 cup cooked
1 tsp. Fresh Tarragon, finely diced
Salt/White pepper to taste

Cook the garlic, carrots, potato and onion in 3 cups of fish broth until just barely tender. Do not over cook as it cooks again after adding more ingredients.

TO MAKE A ROUX:
While veg are cooking make a roux with butter, flour, milk and cream.  Roux (pronounced roo) is the base for 3 of the 5 French 'Mother' sauces, Bechamel, Espagnole, and Veloute. In France roux is made with equal parts butter and flour.

Melt butter, add flour (If you want a thicker chowder use 1/2 cup flour. I don't like my chowder super thick.), and cook the butter and flour for 3 minutes stirring constantly. Add milk and cream. Keep stirring. Traditionally you'd use a whisk, but I prefer a rubber spatula.

Roux will be lumpy at first, but keep stirring until the sauce is thick and smooth, about 15 minutes. Slowly add mussel broth and white wine. Keep stirring.

Add tarragon. Season with salt/white pepper. Mix the roux into the veg and fish stock. Cook gently over medium heat for 30 minutes to bring flavors together.

TO PREPARE MUSSELS:
Remove any "beards"--the little pieces of seaweed looking hair sticking out of shells. Soak mussels in cold water for about an hour. Keep rinsing until all sand, grit, shell pieces are removed and mussels look clean. Place the mussels in a big pot. Cover with water, add salt, pepper, garlic and chopped onion and some herbs. I used parsley, thyme, tarragon and a sage leaf. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until shells just open-about 15 minutes. Drain. Save broth.

You can clean and cook mussels up to a day in advance.

Add uncooked fish to chowder broth. Cover and cook over low heat for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Add cooked mussels and shrimp. Adjust seasoning. This chowder gets better with time so you can make the whole soup in the morning or day before. It lasts well for up to 5 days.

Serve with chopped chives or have it plain. Great with a green salad and chunky bread!

This Seafood Chowder is rich, creamy and comforting. Perfect for an Irish summer day--55 degrees today with steady drizzle! My Arizona friends may want to wait until December to make this!

ALL FOR TODAY! 

I'M OFF TO THE PUB FOR A PINT OF GUINNESS!

PLEASE TUNE IN AGAIN SOON FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF:

WWW.COOKWITHCINDY.COM 

I'LL BE WRITING YOU NEXT TIME FROM TUSCANY!

A COUPLE QUICK TIPS and AN IRISH SURPRISE!

The other day I noticed my melon nearing the end of its life. This melon looked like a Cantelope on the outside,  but was bright green inside.  It had a rich, sweet intense flavor somewhat between traditional Cantelope and a Honeydew. I think it is a Galia melon, which is a cross between the two, but not sure.

MELON ICE

Does anyone know what type of melon this is?

I cut the last 3 pieces, peeled and scooped them into my brand, new blender. Up until recently all chores were done manually in my little Irish kitchen so quite a treat to have some gadgets. Remember whipping cream by hand, Diana, with a one-armed beater?

Blend until it becomes smooth and liquid. Pour into a shallow metal pan. Metal is better than glass for freezing. This is the same process as when making granita, which I like to include in a big, hoodoo dinner, especially our Easter feast. (Search for 'granita' to find recipes from previous blogs.) The difference here is that you don't add anything. And, also I use the granita course as a palate cleanser so it will be more refreshing than sweet. Melon ice is sweet!

Just place in the freezer and stir with a fork every half hour or so until you get a fine grain consistency. Great low-cal treat after dinner and excellent way to use the last of your melon before it goes south. I think this would work well with any overly ripe high sugar fruit.

And here is the finished product as green as an Irish field!

HERE'S A TIP...

To soften sugar that has become hard as a rock, add an apple.

Years ago my Mom taught me the trick of softening brown sugar that's become hard. I had never tried with white sugar, but it works equally well. Just place a whole apple in a jar of your hard sugar and in a few days it will become softened.

When I think of Irish food I think of spring lamb, beautiful grass fed Irish beef, or smoked salmon. Seaweed is not the first thing that comes to mind, but here it is! I added the seaweed, fresh tofu and thinly sliced leek to a Miso soup--granted it was packaged instant soup, but I couldn't find miso to make from scratch and this was really simple, quick and delicious!...AND organic!

The seaweed--Atlantic Wakame--is harvested locally in Clare, which is directly across Galway Bay from our house in Spiddal. Follow the land in this photo all the way to the end (right/west) and you will find the Cliffs of Mohr; a site you do not want to miss when visiting Ireland. Please note, it's raining across the Bay right now!

This is the view from our upstairs bedroom.
Across Galway Bay is Clare.

Clare also is where this organic seaweed has been hand harvested for 4 generations. One of the things I love about the Irish is their resourcefulness and commitment to sustainable living. The sea provides a vast opportunity for supporting this way of life.

MISO SOUP WITH WILD IRISH SEA VEG

My husband enjoying a hot bite of healthy Miso Soup

That's all for today 
from a delightfully, sunny Ireland! 

...such a rare treat!

And just so you don't think I've gone all lazy over here with instant soup, I did make a Cream of Celery Soup this morning from scratch with a super-rich 

homemade chicken broth.

Tune in again soon for another episode of:

www.cookwithcindy.com 

HOMEMADE HAMBURGER BUNS READY IN A BLINK!

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY FROM IRELAND! 

My first blog post from a foreign country. My husband, Jerry and I are trying to feel the holiday spirit, but it's been pouring rain all day in Spiddal, Co. Galway with temps in the 50's. So I decided to make homemade hamburger/hotdog buns to cheer me up. The cook-stove has also been burning all morning so the kitchen is very cozy and now smells like freshly baked bread.

40 MINUTE HAMBURGER BUNS

I have made this recipe several times (It's from allrecipes.com) and thought I already blogged it, but couldn't find it. This time I made hotdog rolls, full size hamburger buns and slider buns as at a future time I will make ground lamb sliders with toppings like caramelized onion, Irish goat cheese, etc. Yum!

Hotdogs are not very popular in Ireland.  I found some in a jar,  but they looked nasty. The closest I could find are a hotdog type sausage from a fantastic butcher in Galway. It is a German recipe made right in their shop.

Here is the recipe for the buns...

Ingredients:

Ingredients are so simple!  Yeast is proofed. See how it's puffed.

2 Tbsp. Dry yeast
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. Warm water (110 to   115 degrees--although I never test. Just use your finger. You want the water quite warm, but not so much that you burn your finger.)
1/3 cup vegetable oil (I used grape seed oil.)
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg (I used a duck egg because that's all I had on hand.)
1 tsp. Salt
3 to 3 1/2 cups flour

Preparation:
In a large bowl,  dissolve  yeast in warm water. I like to add about a tsp. of sugar to make sure the yeast is good. This is called "proofing " or "blossoming" the yeast. If it puffs up it is good. If it doesn't, start over with new yeast. It will take only a few minutes to know if it's going to work.
Add oil and sugar;  let stand for 5 minutes. Add the egg, salt and enough flour to form a soft dough.

Turn onto a floured surface; gently knead until smooth  and elastic; about 5 minutes. The recipe calls for dividing into 12 pieces for hamburger buns. If you do this your buns will be gigantic! This time I made 4 small hotdog buns; 8 slider buns and 7 regular hamburger buns. If you like big buns, go for it!
Place  3 inches apart on greased baking sheets.

Cover and let rest 15 minutes.  Bake at 425 degrees for 8 to 12 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pans to wire racks to cool. We tried one right from the oven slathered with butter so know they're ok! With our "hotdogs" we're having homemade Boston Baked Beans, coleslaw and potato salad.

SLAINTE FROM OUR IRISH HOME TO YOURS!

ENJOY YOUR HOLIDAY AND TUNE IN SOON 
FOR ANOTHER EPISODE OF...

www.cookwithcindy.com