Rabbit Stifado Food

GREEK RABBIT STEW. KOUNELI STIFADO

Steps:

• Cut up the rabbits and cut into serving pieces. Be sure to include little bits, like the belly flaps, the front legs, the kidneys and such; they become yummy surprises in the finished stew. Salt the rabbit pieces well and set aside for 30 minutes.
• Heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a frying pan and brown the rabbit well. As each piece browns, move it to a brazier or Dutch oven or other heavy, lidded pot. When the rabbit is browned, sauté the onions for 4 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat, until they begin to brown. Add the garlic and sauté for another minute. Sprinkle with salt. Do not let the garlic burn.
• Turn the contents of the frying pan into the brazier or a Dutch oven, then arrange the bay leaves, oregano, allspice berries and cinnamon stick over them.
• In the pan you browned the rabbit and the onions, add the wine, sweet wine, vinegar, stock, tomato paste and grated tomatoes - cut tomatoes in half and run them through your coarsest grater to leave the skins out of your pot. Cook this down over high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, then pour over everything in the pot.
• Cover the pot and bring to a simmer. Cook slowly for 1 hour, then check. It may need up to another hour. You want the rabbit to be just about falling off the bone. You can pull the rabbit meat off the bone, as I do, or just let your guests do that. Grind some black pepper and drizzle some really good olive oil over everything right when you serve.

RABBIT STIFADO

Steps:

• Rinse the rabbit pieces and place them in a mixing bowl together with the bay leaves and vinegar; mix well and leave to marinate for at least 2 hours, or overnight; remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat dry with kitchen paper.
• Heat half of the olive oil in a large saucepan until hot, add the rabbit and fry the pieces until quite brown on all sides; add the tomato paste, bay leaves (left over from the marinade), sugar, garlic, spices, wine and the hot water.
• Season with salt and pepper.
• Bring to the boil mixing well then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining olive oil in a frying pan; add the onions and sauté gently for 15 minutes stirring occasionally, until golden all over; after the rabbit has been cooking for 1 hour, add the onions and oil from the frying pan to the saucepan; combine, then re-cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes; fish out the cinnamon stick, allspice berries and rosemary sprig.
• Note: This can be served with pasta, noodles, rice or oven-roasted potatoes, but my personal favourite is homemade french-fries, which taste delicious dunked in the spicy sauce.

RABBIT STIFADO

Steps:

• Season rabbit with salt and pepper to taste. Coat the bottom of a large oven-proof saute pan or casserole dish with 2 tablespoons olive oil. Place over medium-high heat, and brown rabbit on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Brown in batches if necessary; do not crowd pan. Remove rabbit to a platter.
• Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Add red onions and pinch of salt. Saute over medium heat until onions are slightly wilted and begin to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic, and stir. Add Cabernet Sauvignon and Mavrodaphne, and stir, scraping bottom of pan. Raise heat to medium-high, and boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/4 cup, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Add rabbit to pan with any juices from platter. Add chicken broth, allspice, sachet and black pepper to taste. Bring to boil, then remove from heat. Cover pan, and place in oven. Let rabbit simmer for 40 to 60 minutes; while it is cooking, prepare the pearl onions.
• In a skillet or saute pan over medium-high heat, melt 1 teaspoon butter, and add the pearl onions. Sprinkle with sugar, and saute, shaking pan or stirring, until onions are golden brown on all sides, 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside until ready to use.
• When rabbit is done (the meat will give easily when pierced with a fork), remove it to a serving platter and keep it warm. Place pan on stove over medium heat, and add the onions. Bring the pan liquid to a boil and whisk in remaining teaspoon of butter. Check for seasoning, and add salt, pepper or mavrodaphne, if desired. Ladle sauce over rabbit. Garnish, if desired, with diced fresh tomatoes and fried onion rings.