July 2002
Interesting, isn't it, how everything old is new again? Rabbit is making a big comeback after years of being out of favour. Once known as "bush mutton" because it was so cheap and always available, it is gaining prestige as fashionable chefs serve it in innovative ways on their restaurant menus.
Much of this rediscovery is due to the availability now of farmed white rabbit which is more juicy and tender than its feral counterpart. Admittedly these rabbits are expensive and only carried by gourmet butchers. Wild rabbit, on the other hand, is available at all times of the year and sold by most butchers (look for young rabbit as it is milder in flavour and more tender). Because it is such a lean meat, it is an ideal addition to casseroles, combining well with red and white wine, herbs, spices, mushrooms and prunes.
At the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival a couple of years ago, Melbourne chef Greg Brown demonstrated a fabulous rabbit casserole. For this he used six rabbit legs, a cotechino sausage (a rich Italian sausage), 100g brown sugar, 15 cloves, the zest of an orange, cooked black turtle beans and some black peppercorns, all covered with Beaujolais! This was gently simmered for 1 1/2 - 2 hours, then the liquid strained, reduced and enriched with butter. Three slices of cotechino were served with each leg and each dish was garnished with chervil. Brown and his supplier, Jonathan Gianfreda (Jonathan's, Fitzroy), are great advocates of old-style cuts of meat. Another of the dishes he demonstrated was a lamb and lentil dish: lamb shoulders cooked in a pot with lamb riblettes, veal stock and thyme. Pearl onions and carrots are added 30 minutes before end of cooking time and a sauce made by reducing the liquid with white wine with a final addition of butter. The lamb is served cut into chunks with cooked puy lentils alongside. Such long slowly cooked dishes make perfect winter fare.
The word "casserole" refers to both the cooking vessel and the dish cooked in it. The meat is braised then cooked slowly in a small amount of liquid, the idea of which is to tenderise the meat. Slow simmering is important as is a tight-fitting lid: a continuous self-basting goes on as steam condenses on the lid and falls back on the food. You can either use a slow oven (150 - 160 degrees Celsius) or the top of the stove- a simmer pad is handy to control the heat.
Older-style cuts like brisket, skirt, oxtail, veal and lamb shanks are made for this method of cooking. When the meat is cooked, it's important to reduce the liquid to concentrate the sauce and intensify the flavours. Seafood, poultry and vegetables also respond well to casseroling.
Ideal Joints for Casserole
Look for joints of meat with good marbling of fat. The fat will help to keep the meat moist and succulent and will melt and baste the meat as it cooks. Alternatively ask your butcher to thread lardons of pork fat along the grain of the meat, or use strips of bacon to cover lean pieces. Meat on the bone will give added flavour, but requires longer cooking.
Beef: skirt (marvelous flavour), brisket, cheek, topside, chuck, oxtail
Lamb: shoulder, neck (neck chops are deliciously sweet), rump
Port: shoulder, knuckle, belly, neck
Poultry and game: all poultry and game birds; rabbits, hare
Our Family's Favourite Beef Casserole
Very rich and more-ish. There's no need to cube the meat before cooking - leave it in 2-3 large pieces, then spoon it apart just before serving. Perfect with pappardelle (wide flat noodles) or mashed potato.
Serves 6
2-3 tablespoons oil
1.25kg casserole beef (see above)
flour for dusting
1 onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 carrot, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
1/2 red capsicum, chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
500ml beef stock
1 x medium tin chopped tomatoes
bouquet garni (bay leaf, 2 parsley stalks)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
salt and cracked pepper
2-3 tablespoons sweet chilli saucePreheat oven to 160 degrees Celsius.
Heat half the oil in a casserole dish. Dust the meat on both sides with flour and brown all over. Remove to a plate. Scrape out any burnt bits. Add the remaining oil and cook the onion, garlic, carrot, capsicum and celery until soft. Return the meat to the pan, pour in the beef stock and tomatoes. Add the herbs and sweet chilli sauce. Season to taste. Cover with a lid and cook for 3 1/2 - 4 hours, turning the meat occasionally. Add more stock or water if it begins to look dry. The meat should be very soft and melt in your mouth. Divine!
