This recipe is a farm favorite, originally designed to deal with
tough old roosters and hens (meaning chickens, folks). Fannie uses rabbit
since she lives next door to a kind rancher who raises and sells them.
This dish is tasty, but messy--sort of a poor man's Chiopino. Enjoy
Ingredients:
One rabbit, squirrel, rooster or stewing hen. Skinned and cut into sections, leave the bones in. (remove the skin from chickens, too, to reduce fat content)
4 potatoes cut in quarters
6 carrots, cut in half
1 onion, diced
3 stalks celery, diced
salt & pepper to taste
1 teaspoon marjoram
1 teaspoon sage
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons parsley
4 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons butter
In a large Dutch oven, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil. Add the rabbit pieces, salt & pepper. Simmer over low heat for one hour (more if REALLY tough) or until meat is tender. (Add more water to cover the meat if needed) Add spices and veggies, simmer until veggies are tender (about 1/2 hour). Make a rue from the flour & butter (melt the butter in a small pan, whisk in the flour until smooth). Slowly add some of the stew broth to the rue, mixing well with a whisk. Add the liquefied rue to the broth and simmer until the broth thickens into a nice gravy.
Place a meat section and some veggies in a bowl and top with gravy. Serve with biscuits and extra napkins. It is correct farm etiquette to eat the meat with your fingers, but use your spoon on the veggies, please.
