The rabbit is poached in wine, as opposed to being poached on a great estate! I think the barley goes very well to complement the earthiness of the rabbit. If you have never cooked barley or for that matter eaten it, then you should give it a go as variety in our diets is a good thing. It does take a good hour of cooking but don't let that put you off. Alternatively if rabbit is a no-no, then chicken could be used too! There is no fat or dairy, yet it tastes good!!
Dinner for four
5 legs of rabbit (or a whole one)
350 ml / 0.75 pint white wine
2 litres/ 4 pints water
250g / 1 cup whole grain barley
1 organic vegetable stock cube (or dices vegetables)
to finish two tablespoons of grainy mustard
Put the wine in a large pan (with a lid) and put in the rabbit (or skinned chicken legs). Bring to the boil and let simmer turning the legs after about 5 minutes, cook for a further 5 minutes so as to reduce the wine by half. Add in the water and bring to the boil and put in your barley. Cook this for an hour on a low heat. Always check the water has not boiled away and stir occasionally. Remove the legs and strip off the meat. The barley can take up to another 20 minutes (alternatively you can pre-soak the grains to speed this all up). Once you are happy with the texture, add the meat back in and warm through. I aim for it to be like a risotto with a little juice, but you can add in as much liquid as you wish just season to taste. Off the heat, I add in the mustard which just dresses the dish beautifully. I served it with a side of steamed broccoli. I hope you try it!
This does look delicious! I would pass on the rabbit and use chicken. Barley has always been a favourite of mine. My mother used to make what she called a 'Scotch Broth'....a very thick soup, almost a stew, made with beef. My favourite soup to this day!
ReplyDeleteYou are correct, barley could become an alternative to rice and potato for a change.
Hi Jim,
DeleteI like scotch broth too, warms you up in winter! True barley is under used as it takes time to cook sadly.
Ivan
My Lady and I love rabbit. Pray tell....do you prepare rabbit any other way? Also an unrelated question: I'm curious my surname is Bassford, with a few towns in England so named. But I have traced it back to Northern France the the Champlain Du Basiford. Have you seen the name in Normandy?
ReplyDeletechefjimmb.blogspot.com
Hello Jimmy
DeleteWelcome, thank you for dropping by. I do quite a few rabbit dishes as we have a lot here as gifts (hunter friends) - you will have to stay tuned for them! I will look into the name tomorrow, but I have not seen it before.
Ivan
Hello again,
DeleteI have checked a name register in French for France and there is nothing only for Champlain in the Lille and Paris areas but this is recent. In 1891-1915 there were 9 births on Martinique. Also the town doesn't come up anywhere. Sorry I couldn't help more.
Ivan
Here the rabbit is traditionally cooked with potatoes and tomatoes, and white wine. What I do not like the rabbit are the small bones. , O)
ReplyDeleteHi,
DeleteThat sounds good too! I try to cut it into pieces and pick over the middle part where the small bones are before serving, but I know what you mean. It has such a lovely taste though and it gets over looked.
Ivan:-)
Just viewed all of your post, what a wonderful site, you seemed to have captured the essence of the good life. Your recipes look easy to prepare, simple but elegant. I love the photos. I can’t wait to try these dishes.
ReplyDeleteHello Harriet,
DeleteThank you for your kind words and also for dropping by! I am happy you like it, I try to balance the food so it is good, tasty and achievable!
Ivan