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Australian GP
"Start of the season is always like Christmas, new
year and
my birthday all in one so a great meal with good
wine and
good friends just makes things even better "
Phil Hutchings
AUSTRALIAN POACHED RABBIT WITH BRUSCHETTA
4 servings though you can stretch this to 5-6 if you are
eating very lightly (it is the middle of the night
European time)
Ingredients
1 Spanish onion, peeled and sliced
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
2 bay leaves
12 black peppercorns
1 medium to large rabbit (don’t ask - get the butcher to
do it for you!)
2 cloves of garlic, quartered
16 Fresh sage leaves (don’t use dry!)
2 ½ cups extra virgin olive oil
1 or two (see servings note above) crusty Italian ring
loaf of bread (preferably day-old)
Mesclun, to serve
Method
In a little oil fry off the onion, celery, and carrots
just to soften not brown. Bring 6 litres of salted water
to the boil in a large saucepan. Add softened onion,
celery, and carrot mixture, together with the herbs (not
sage) and peppercorns and return to the boil. Skim
surface. While waiting for liquid to boil gently brown the
rabbit in the pan used for the vegetables.
Once water has reached boiling point add the browned
rabbit and return to the boil. As soon as the liquid has
reached boiling point, reduce heat to lowest setting,
cover and simmer very gently for 1 hour, or until rabbit
is tender. Remove from heat and cool rabbit in cooking
liquid. Remove rabbit from liquid, strip meat from bones
and place it in a single layer on a plate or tray. Season
meat generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
(Return bones to cooking liquid and boil again to make
stock, to freeze for another purpose, if desired. It
really is worth doing this, real stock just knocks the
pants off bought ones; also soup always makes a great
starter).
Transfer rabbit to a bowl. Add garlic, sage, and oil just
to cover. Using your hands, mix ingredients to combine,
then cover and refrigerate for 48 hours. I have tried to
leave for three days but it just gets too tempting.
Cut bread into relatively thick slices (1/2 inch 1.25 cm)
and brush both sides with remaining oil combined with 1
teaspoon sea salt. Place in a single layer on a rack on an
oven tray and bake at 150C for 30 minutes, or until pale
golden. Using a slotted spoon, remove rabbit from oil, and
serve at room temperature with warm bruschetta, and
mesclun leaves.
Based on an
Australian Gourmet guide I got in the 90’s
Wine
Oakridge Yarra Valley Merlot Cabernet or Shiraz (We tend
to have both!!). This is just a personal choice as is the
rest of this little journey. There are dozens of Victoria
wines to choose from though I wouldn’t recommend you do
all of them in one weekend.
By Phil Hitchings - the Grand Prix Gourmet
The
Grand Prix Gourmet Gallery
Back to
the Grand Prix Gourmet
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