Recipes
Rabbit stifado
A robust, winey stew from Rebecca Seal's mouthwatering new book, The Islands of Greece which immediately makes you want to jump on a plane and fly off there. Top tip about cooking rabbit too.
Rebecca writes: "Stifado is a wonderful Greek stew that is always made with lots of tiny onions and sometimes with tomato; this version is rich and aromatic with spices but if you prefer a sharper flavour, add half a can of chopped tomatoes after the wine.
Rabbit can take anything from one to three hours to cook, depending on the age of the rabbit and whether it is wild or not, so, sometimes it might be best to cook it in advance and reheat it to serve. Stifado can also be made with chicken, game birds, even goat or venison, if you prefer. Serve with lemon, garlic and herb-roasted potatoes (also in the book) and a green salad with a sharp dressing, to cut through the richness."
Serves 4
olive oil to cook
1 whole rabbit, skinned and jointed, without offal
15 small onions
6 garlic cloves
1 tablespoon tomato purée (paste)
250 ml (8½ fl oz/1 cup) red wine
1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
1 bay leaf
3 cm (1¼ in) cinnamon stick
leaves from ½ sprig of rosemary, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
salt
Preheat the oven to 160ºC (325°F/Gas 3).
In a large ovenproof pan with a lid, warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil over a high heat. Place half the rabbit pieces into the pan and brown thoroughly, then remove from the pan and set aside. Do the same with the other half. Add the onions and garlic and fry for 3 minutes, stirring, just long enough for them to get a little colour.
Add the tomato purée and cook for 2 minutes, stirring again. Add the red wine and deglaze the pan: let the wine bubble and stir, scraping up any burnt on bits from the base and sides. Add the vinegar, bay leaf, cinnamon stick and rosemary, stir, then return the meat to the pan.
Add 500 ml (17 fl oz/2¼ cups) of hot water and the pepper, plus a generous grinding of salt. Bring to the boil, cover and place in the oven. Cook for 1 hour, then check to see if the meat is becoming tender; if not, return to the oven for 30 minutes. Continue to check every 30 minutes until the meat is falling off the bones; this may take as long as 3 hours.
When the meat is tender, remove the pan from the oven. Take the meat out of the pan and set aside. Remove and discard the cinnamon. Place the pan over a medium heat and reduce the liquid left in the pan until thickened and saucy (this may not need to be done if the meat has been in the oven for a very long time).
What to drink: As Rebecca does the drinks slot for Channel 4's Sunday Brunch I asked her for her recommendations with this dish. She suggested the 2008 Little Ark 'dry red', and the Emery Estate Zacosta Amorgiano, also 2008 from Rhodes but says she doesn't think they're available in the UK. Or any robust Greek red - try the 'Red on Black' Agiorgitiko from Marks & Spencer. (Southern Italian reds, I think, would work well too FB)
Recipe extracted from The Islands of Greece by Rebecca Seal (Hardie Grant, £25.00) Photography © Steven Joyce
Spiced Venison with Wild Mushroom and Truffle Sauce
An elegant main course recipe* from one of my favourite food writers Sue Lawrence's A Cook’s Tour of Scotland that would be a great option for a haggis-free Burns' Night supper.
Sue writes: "This is a really tasty dish that can be prepared in advance – apart from the actual cooking of the meat. The weight of fillet from red deer can vary from around 250 – 400g/9 – 14 oz, but if you use a roe fillet, it will weigh only about 100g / 3 1/2 oz and so you must reduce the cooking time drastically (and use a fillet per person) Whichever type of venison you use, remember always to undercook and allow to rest for a perfect even pinkness and tender meat. Serve with pappardelle or soft polenta."
serves 3-4
1 level tbsp whole black peppercorns
1 level tbsp whole juniper berries
1 whole venison fillet , trimmed (about 350g / 12 oz)
2 tbsp olive oil
Truffle oil
Seasalt and freshly ground black pepper
For the sauce
40g / 1 1/2 oz dried porcini ( ceps), rinsed
200 ml / 7 fl oz/ 1/3 pint dry white wine
40g / 1 1/2 oz butter
2 shallots or half a small onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
200g / 7 oz fresh mushrooms, wiped and chopped
1 tbsp plain flour
150 ml / 5 fl oz/ 1/4 pint double cream
Toast the peppercorns and juniper in a dry frying pan over a high heat for about 3 minutes, shaking often, until a strong spicy smell emerges. Tip into an electric grinder - or use a mortar and pestle —and grind until coarsely ground. Brush the venison with 1 tbsp oil then press in the spices. Leave on a plate somewhere cool for a couple of hours.
To make the sauce, soak the dried mushrooms in the wine for at least 20 minutes then strain, reserving the wine. Heat the butter in a pan and gently fry the shallots/onion and garlic for 2 – 3 minutes then add the mushrooms (soaked and fresh) and stir. Cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes or until tender.
Increase the heat and sprinkle over the flour, . Cook for 1 minute, stirring, then add the reserved wine and the cream, stirring constantly. Bring to the boil then simmer, uncovered, for 5 – 10 minutes until slightly thickened. Season to taste and set aside.
To cook the meat, heat the remaining oil in a large frying pan (preferably one that can go into the oven) and, once hot, add the venison and brown all over : this takes 4 – 5 minutes. Season with sea salt as you brown it. Then transfer the pan to a preheated oven ( 220°C/425°F/Gas7) and cook for about 7-8 minutes. Remove the meat and place on a warm plate. Cover with foil and leave to rest for 10 minutes.
Carve the rested meat and serve with some of the sauce and a few shakes of truffle oil on top
What to drink:
This is a dish that is hugely wine friendly so you could drink almost any medium bodied red you enjoy. My own choice would be a Western Australia Cabernet-Merlot (Cullen’s or Cape Mentelle) or a Pinot Noir
* Note this picture is not exactly that of Sue Lawrence's recipe but similar to it. Photo © Marina Grau - Fotolia.com
RSSLatest post
Smoked jollof rice and pu’erh teaMost popular
.jpg)
9 great wine pairings for duck (updated)
My latest book
How to Drink without DrinkingNews and views
.jpg)
Fine Wine and Fast Food
About Fiona
About Matching Food & Wine
Work with me
