Text 13128, 115 rader
Skriven 2008-08-31 14:57:12 av Glen Jamieson
     Kommentar till en text av Nancy Backus
Ärende: CHICKEN FEET  80831
===========================
 -=> Quoting Nancy Backus to Glen Jamieson <=-

 NB>> Pressure cookers have their uses... :)  When I was growing up, we
 GJ> I still use my old Hawkins regularly, mainly for kangaroo or ox tail

 NB> Mine's a Presto.  I used it for a while after we got married... but
 NB> then got away from using it.  It was more useful for cooking for the
 NB> large family I had grown up in than for the small family I ended up
 NB> having.  Even when we had extra people living with us, I was doing more
 NB> cassarole type cooking.  Growing up, we made beef stew in it (with a
 NB> thin-ish broth due to canned tomatoes)... which I might do even now, if

In the days when pressure cookers were most popular, their main selling
point was that they could tame old, tough meat in 20 minutes or so of
pressure cooking instead of hours of boiling.  In those days that sort
of meat was sold widely, but it doesn't seem to be as common now.  I
did notice "boiler" fowls in the local Asian shop. (Hmm. Having ideas.)

 NB> I felt like dragging out the cooker... and beef liver, which even then
 NB> I felt absolutely ruined the liver.  I was taught to dredge it in a
 NB> flour, salt and pepper mixture, sear it in butter, and then put it into
 NB> the pressure cooker with onions and water.  It formed its own gravy
 NB> that way, and was served on white rice with vegetables...  Whenever I

That would have been awful!!  Liver hardened to boot leather by too
much cooking, or overcooked further to gravel!

 NB> was my turn to cook it, I'd always sneak a few tastes of the liver
 NB> during the searing phase of things... SO much tastier than the finished
 NB> product!  When I was on my own, I just stopped the process at the
 NB> searing step, and served it that way... often with pan-fried onions,
 NB> though... Having a liver gravy wasn't at all important to ME... (G)

That is definitely a far better way to cook liver of any kind.  The
onion gravy can be cooked separately and poured over the liver.  I
sometimes have it like that, with mashed potato and peas or beans.
 
 GJ> While listening to a radio discussion recently I learned that, being
 GJ> someone who grew up during the Depression and WW2, I am a member of
 GJ> the "Frugal Generation", who automatically saves energy to save money. 

 NB> I'm a wee bit younger...  but probably would just about qualify
 NB> anyway...  :)   Saving energy, saving money... as natural as
 NB> breathing... and as little attention normally paid to it.  :)  One
 NB> just does it.  :)

Zackly!
 
 GJ> Rabbits, bought from itinerant trappers selling door to door were
 GJ> often eaten at home during those pre-war years.
 NB> Too bad it's not that easy to get rabbit nowadays... at least around
 NB> here, anyway... :)

Deliberately introduced diseases like myxomatosis and calicivirus have
reduced the rabbit population to the point where they are no longer a
major pest in Australia, but wild rabbits can still be trapped in some
areas.  Some are also farmed, and are sold separately.  The farmed ones
are fatter and more tender, but I prefer the stronger flavour of the
wild, even though they are slightly more expensive, at about $9/kg.

My favourite rabbit dish is something like this:

MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.05
 
      Title: Lagos/Kounelli Stifado
 Categories: Meats, Greek, Main dish
      Yield: 6 Servings
 
      1    Rabbit or hare
           -- cut into serving pieces,
           -- and marinated 1 or 2 days
           -See: Lagos/Kounelli Fournou
    1/4 c  Butter
      2 lb Small white onions
           -equal weight of rabbit/hare
      1 c  Canned tomato sauce
      3    Whole cloves
      2 cl Garlic
      1 tb Raisins (opt)
      1    Bay leaf
      1 ts Granulated sugar
    1/2 c  Dry white wine
      2 tb Wine vinegar
           Fresh rosemary
 
  Remove the rabbit or hare from the marinade and wipe dry.  In a large
  casserole, heat the butter or oil and sear the rabbit or hare over
  high heat until reddened in color, without browning the fat.
  Meanwhile, peel the onions and cut a cross in the root end with a
  sharp pointed knife to keep them from falling apart during cooking.
  Arrange around the rabbit or hare, then stir in the remaining
  ingredients, add enough water to cover, place an inverted plate over
  the meat and bring to a boil. Transfer to a very slow oven (225 F)
  and bake for 2 to 2-1/2 hours, until the rabbit or hare and onions
  are tender. Remove from the oven and carefully pour off the sauce
  into a small saucepan.  Boil down to 1-1/2 cups.  Remove plate from
  casserole, pour the sauce over, and garnish with additional rosemary.
  Serve warm.
  
  NOTE: The flavor improves the second day.
  
  Source: The Food of Greece - by Vilma Liacouras Chantiles Avenel
  Books, New York
  
  Typed for you by Karen Mintzias
  
  Uncle Dirty Dave's Archives
 
MMMMM
 

___ Blue Wave/DOS v2.30 [NR]

--- FLAME v2.0/b
 * Origin: Braintap BBS Adelaide Australia (3:800/449)