Post by April B. on Feb 28, 2003 12:22:05 GMT -6
Posted by:Bee
At www.chitterlings.com
RED-WINE BRAISED RABBIT WITH SAGE POLENTA
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 1/2- to 3-pound rabbit, thawed if frozen, cut into 7 or 8 serving pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup dry red wine
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons minced fresh sage leaves or 1 teaspoon dried, crumbled
1 recipe basic polenta, kept warm
For basic polenta:
4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup instant polenta (or 1 cup cornmeal)**
In a large bowl stir together flour and salt. Add rabbit and toss to coat. In heavy kettle heat 2 tablespoons oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and brown rabbit in batches, transferring pieces to a bowl.
Add onion and remaining tablespoon oil to kettle and sauté, stirring occasionally, until softened but not browned. Stir in garlic and rosemary and sauté, stirring, 1 minute. Add broth, wine, and rabbit with any juices left in bowl and simmer, 1 hour, covered or until rabbit is tender. Remove cover and simmer until sauce is thickened slightly. Stir in parsley.
Stir sage into warm polenta. Serve polenta topped with rabbit and sauce.
To make basic polenta:
In a heavy saucepan bring water and salt to a boil and gradually stir in instant polenta in a thin stream. Cook polenta over moderately low heat (it should be barely boiling), stirring constantly, until very thick and pulls away from side of pan, about 15 minutes for instant polenta. Remove pan from heat and cover to keep warm. Stir polenta just before using. Polenta will keep warm, covered, about 20 minutes. Makes about 3 cups.
Note: **In the traditional method of cooking polenta, forty minutes of constant stirring is required to achieve a lumpless texture and fragrant flavor, if you're using cornmeal.
To make satisfactory polenta in a real hurry, an imported instant polenta (precooked cornmeal) is available. This cooks in fifteen minutes.