It has been a few months since I last wrote for my column.
Life has been pretty mad with trying to finish off my Masters, and running a
very busy business. Our business has recently been made a finalist in the
Sustainable Business Awards and we are really excited about that!
For those of you new to my column, my name is Mawera Karetai
and I am a wild food cook. I love food, I love cooking and I love eating – all
the essential loves for a food writer! Wild food is more than just a passion
for our family; it is a lifestyle choice. All the meat we eat comes from the
bush, and we grow or forage as much as we can, to compliment the meat. In my
column I have written about rabbit, hare, goat, peacock, pheasant, duck,
venison and wild pork. I try and include the odd dessert recipe, too, making
use of locally-grown seasonal fruits.
So welcome, reader, it is my pleasure to
write for you.
Tonight for dinner at our place, rabbit is on the menu. Rabbit is so
delicious , delicate and beautifully tender when treated with respect. If your
rabbit is a little older, it is good to brine it. Brine is a mixture of water,
salt and seasoning that tenderises, moisturises and infuses flavours into the
meat. For a whole rabbit you need to brine for a day – put it in the brine
solution in the morning and then by evening it will be ready to cook. I
generally work on at least an hour of brining time per 500gms, but longer is
better. My usual method is one tablespoon of salt for each cup of water, and
which ever herbs and spices I am planning on cooking with. Mix together, then submerge
rabbit into the solution and leave for the prescribed time. Make sure you dry
the meat really well before frying, otherwise hot oil will spit everywhere.
Kia makona, Mawera Karetai x
Baked Rabbit with Green Olives
·
8 rabbit pieces
·
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
·
1 large red onion, very finely sliced
·
1 1/4 cups sliced pitted brine-cured green olives
·
3 large garlic cloves, chopped
·
3 fresh thyme sprigs
·
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
·
1/4 cup (or more) water
·
Fresh rosemary sprigs
Method
Brine rabbit pieces, then pat dry; season with salt and pepper. Heat
good oil in heavy large pan over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add the
rabbit to the pan and brown, turning often, around 5 minutes per batch.
Transfer the rabbit to a bowl. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion with a little
more oil; sauté for 5 minutes. Mix in garlic, and thyme; cook 5 minutes. Mix in
vinegar and 1/4 cup water. Add the seared rabbit. Cover, reduce heat to
medium-low and simmer 10 minutes. Spoon some of liquid over the rabbit. Cover
and simmer until rabbit is tender, stirring occasionally and adding more water
by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is dry, about 30 minutes. Season with salt and
pepper. Garnish with rosemary and serve warm with seasonal veges.
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