7.1.10

December's cold

Winter came in overnight, after weeks of mild weather. The long autumn was a gift, allowing us time to get the outdoor kitchen buttoned up for winter, time to move the outdoor furniture under wraps, stack the wood, and air the mothballs out of our woolens. Most years we never get a chance to get that all done before snow flies. But now that winter is really here, I am so glad.

It's time for braising, my favorite cooking method. I've been braising rabbit a lot lately, and I have a new favorite recipe from my friend Jill's grandmother, who lived in southern Australia. Here it is:

Orange Rabbit Fricassee

Serves 4

1 rabbit, cut in pieces
2 tablespoons all purpose flour
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 slices pastured bacon, cut in batons
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/4 cup red wine
2 cups chicken, duck or turkey stock, preferably home-made
juice and grated zest of 2 oranges
1/4 cup red current jelly

to finish:
2 cups cooked rice
2 oranges, zested, peeled and segmented

Blot the rabbit and set aside. Mix the flour and salt and pepper, and roll each piece of meat in the seasoned flour. Set this aside on a plate. Set the oven to 325 degrees, and place the shelf in the center of the oven.

Heat a braising pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, and add half the olive oil. When it’s thinned and fragrant, add the bacon batons. Lower the heat and render the bacon fat. When most of the fat has rendered, after 5 minutes, add the onion and carrot and cook it down slowly, stirring as needed, until tender, another 5 minutes.

Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and vegetables from the pot and add the remaining olive oil. When it is thinned and fragrant, arrange the floured meat in one layer. Increase the heat back to medium, and brown the rabbit pieces on both sides, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the meat from the pan, turn off the heat, and deglaze the pan with red wine, scraping up the browned bits. Let the wine reduce by half, using the heat left in the pan. Add the stock, then fresh orange juice and orange zest, and red currant jelly. Turn heat to low and cook until jelly melts. Return the bacon and vegetables to the pot, along with the meat.

Cover tightly, making an inner parchment cover, and bake for 2 hours.

Serve with rice, sprinkling on orange zest, arranging orange segments around the perimeter of the platter.

Turkey time

Here it is November, and we have one turkey left in the freezer from last year's birds. Like all the pastured birds, it has great flavor as well as a chewier texture than industrial birds. I'm going to cook it using a recipe from the new book, rubbing it with a sweet and hot pepper paste, and then serving it with a coffee sauce. I just love this combination of flavors!

Roast Turkey with Ancho Paste and Maple Coffee Sauce
Unstuffed, simple, straight-up roast turkey, brought to surprisingly new heights with a rub of chili, then topped with an unforgettable deep maple coffee sauce. This paste is most lively if you grind the chilis and cumin yourself, but it will also work with dried ground spices. Try grating a little bitter chocolate over the turkey when you serve it.

Serves 6

1 pastured turkey, 8-9 #s
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
3 tablespoons paprika
3 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup maple syrup or honey

For the sauce:

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons ancho chili powder
1/2 cup hot strong coffee
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup Grade B dark maple syrup
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) butter, cut into small pieces

(optional) 1 tablespoon grated bitter chocolate

Bring turkey to room temperature and rinse and blot dry. Combine the spices and salt and oil and rub this paste all over the turkey, inside and out. Massage it in to every nook and cranny. Let sit at room temperature for about an hour to allow the spices to penetrate.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees and set the rack in the lower third. Arrange a roasting rack inside the roasting pan, and put the bird on it, breast side down. Roast, feet first, for about 1 hour, then turn the bird breast side up and roast until or until the internal temperature is 180 degrees in the thickest part of the thigh, about 2 1/2 hours in total. If the bird starts browning too much on the breast, tent it loosely with silver foil. Baste as needed, using the fat and juices in the pan. When the bird hits 170 degrees, increase the heat to 375 degrees and pour the maple syrup or honey over the breast to give the skin a sweet glaze. Cook for another 10 minutes, then remove from the oven and let rest.

When the bird is done and resting, start the sauce. Mix the spices and sugar, coffee, Worcestershire sauce and maple syrup together in a saucepan and heat to a boil, stirring. Immediately remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Keep warm over lowest heat until ready to serve, or leave covered off the heat in a warm kitchen. Whisk again before drizzling over the turkey or passing at the table, grating the optional dark bitter chocolate over the meat on a serving platter, if desired.