12379 Rabbit Stew with Preserved Pears with Ginger Serves 4 to 6 Wed Aug 06 01:05:21 -0700 2008 Wed Feb 04 10:20:39 -0800 2009 Licensed http://www.chow.com/recipes/12379 Wed, 04 Feb 2009 18:20:39 GMT This combination of mustard-flavored rabbit stew and gingered pears is most unusual and exciting to the palate. Though wild rabbits are particularly flavorful, this recipe will work very well with the farm-bred variety. I believe that rabbits, like duck, work best when cut up into parts then used in different ways. The front part of this animal has little meat, while the saddle and hind legs are abundantly meaty. When I buy frozen rabbit, I use only the meaty pieces for this dish, saving the ribs and front legs for a delicious Old-Fashioned Rabbit Soup (pages 61–62). Use a fryer (young) rabbit for this dish.

Because the rabbit needs to marinate, begin this recipe two or three days in advance.

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  • Put the shallots, garlic, olive oil, and half the wine in a large bowl. Add the rabbit pieces and turn them over until well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days, turning the rabbit pieces once or twice a day. If the rabbit is frozen, defrost it directly in the marinade.
  • About 3 hours before serving, remove the rabbit pieces and pat dry with paper towels. Strain the marinade, reserving the garlic and shallots, and the liquid separately.
  • Preheat the oven to 300°F. In a large skillet, heat the fat. Sauté the salt pork, transferring the pieces to a 4-quart casserole as they are browned. In the same skillet, brown the rabbit pieces, a few at a time, on both sides, transferring them to the casserole as they are browned. Sprinkle the rabbit and the pork cubes with the herbs, very little salt, and pepper.
  • Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from the skillet. Add the onions to the skillet along with the reserved garlic and shallots. Sauté over moderately high heat, stirring to avoid burning, until soft and golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in ⅓ cup of the mustard with the juices in the bottom of the casserole until well blended.
  • Using a slotted spoon, transfer the onions, shallots, and garlic to the casserole. Deglaze the skillet with the strained marinade liquid and bring to a boil, skimming off any scum that rises to the surface. Add the remaining 1½ cups white wine and return to a boil. Skim again and pour the boiling liquid over the rabbit and onions. Cover with crumbled wet parchment or waxed paper and a tight-fitting lid.
  • Set the casserole in the oven to cook for 2 hours, or until the rabbit is meltingly tender. (To avoid stringy rabbit, do not rush cooking time; if the rabbit is not tender; let it slowly finish cooking in the oven.) Remove the pieces of rabbit to a warm bowl; cover and keep moist.
  • Strain the cooking liquid, pushing down on the vegetables to extract all their juices. Quickly cool the liquid and remove any fat that surfaces. Place the juices in a heavy saucepan over moderately high heat and bring to a boil. Shift the pan so that only half of it is over heat. Slowly boil down to 1 cup, skimming often.
  • About 5 minutes before serving, whisk together the egg yolks, nutmeg, remaining mustard, and cream in a small bowl until well blended. Whisk a few tablespoons of the hot reduced cooking juices into the egg yolk mixture; then whisk the mixture back into the saucepan. Heat gently, whisking until the sauce thickens. Do not allow the sauce to boil. Add the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir in the chives. Spoon the sauce over the rabbit and serve hot with the Preserved Pears with Ginger.
  • You can cook the rabbit in the casserole through Step 6 in advance. Leave the rabbit pieces in the sauce. Gently reheat, then remove the pieces of rabbit to a warm bowl and continue to make the sauce as directed above.
  • Preheat the oven to 375°F. In a medium saucepan, combine the ginger, sugar, and wine. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat and simmer until the syrup is reduced to 3 tablespoons. Add the stock and bring to a boil, stirring.
  • Meanwhile, peel, halve, and core the pears. Arrange, cut sides down, in a single layer in a large buttered baking dish. Sprinkle with 1½ tablespoons of the lemon juice. Pour the syrup over the pears.
  • Bake, uncovered, for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and glazed. Baste often with the syrupy juices. Sprinkle with remaining lemon juice. If not used at once, set aside at room temperature for up to 8 hours and reheat gently before serving; do not refrigerate.
    • ]]>     http://www.chow.com Paula Wolfert 50 Main 3 large shallots, halved

    ]]>     2 garlic cloves, halved

    ]]>     4 tablespoons olive oil

    ]]>     3 cups dry white wine

    ]]>     1 or 2 fryer rabbits (4 pounds total dressed weight), fresh or frozen; all parts of 1 rabbit or 2 pair hindquarters and saddles cut up for stewing

    ]]>     ⅓ cup rendered duck or goose fat

    ]]>     5 ounces lean salt pork, blanched in water for 5 minutes, rinsed, and cut into 1-inch cubes

    ]]>     ½ teaspoon Herbes de la Garrigue (page80) or herbes de Provence

    ]]>     Coarse kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

    ]]>     Scant ½ cup Dijon mustard

    ]]>     3 onions (about ¾ pound), thinly sliced

    ]]>     2 egg yolks

    ]]>     Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

    ]]>     1 cup heavy cream

    ]]>     Juice of ½ lemon

    ]]>     3 tablespoons minced fresh chives

    ]]>     Preserved Pears With Ginger (pages 218–219)]]> 2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

    ]]>     ¼ cup sugar

    ]]>     ¾ cup dry white wine

    ]]>     1 cup unsalted chicken stock (storebought or homemade—page 405)

    ]]>     3 large Bosc pears (about 1½ pounds)

    ]]>     1 tablespoon unsalted butter

    ]]>     3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

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