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Fricassee of Rabbit
Fricassee of Rabbit
Fricassee is French term that goes back to the 13th century; meaning to fry in butter, then braise in liquid. Rabbit is what comes to mind when one thinks of fricassee, mostly because of Bugs Bunny cartoons; but poultry and veal can also be used. This recipe is less complex than it looks, but requires a little prep time.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1/4 lb bacon diced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1/4 cup shallots diced
- 1 large carrot small dice
- 1 rib celery small dice
- 1 cup white mushrooms sliced
- 4 garlic cloves sliced
- 1 rabbit cut into 8 pieces
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 1/2 cups white wine
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
- Sauté the bacon in a large deep pan until crispy. Remove from the pan and save the fat.
- Add 2 tbsp of butter to the pan over medium heat. Sauté the carrots, celery, shallots, and mushrooms for 8 minutes.
- Add in the garlic and cook for a minute. Remove the vegetables from the pan.
- Dredge the rabbit pieces in the flour.
- Add the bacon fat back into the pan. Add in the rabbit pieces.
- Brown on all sides for 12 minutes.
- Add the vegetables back into the pan. Pour in the white wine. Season with salt.
- Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour.
- Add the sautéed bacon over the rabbit.
Grilled Steelhead Trout
Grilled Steelhead Trout
Steelhead trout are native to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. They have a similar taste to Atlantic salmon, but are smaller in size and have slightly less fat content. Steelhead are an anadromous fish, meaning they spend part of their lives in fresh and saltwater.
Equipment
- charcoal grill
- hardwood charcoal or briquettes
- grilling basket
Ingredients
- 1 whole steelhead fillet 2-3lbs
- seasoning of your liking salt, pepper, garlic, parsley, or any pre-made mix
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 lemon juiced
Instructions
- Rub your steelhead fillet with the olive oil. Generously season with seasonings of your liking. I used Paul Prudomme’s salmon seasoning, but a combination of salt, pepper, garlic, and parsley would work just fine. Allow to rest at room temperature for at least 30 minutes. Place in a grilling basket.
- While the fish is resting, place the charcoal in a chimney starter and allow to turn grey; about 15 minutes. Pour the lit charcoal on one side of the grill.
- When ready to cook, place the steelhead in the basket flesh side down directly over the charcoal. Grill for 2-3 minutes to sear the fish.
- Flip the fish over to skin side down. Grill for about 8 minutes with the cover on the grill with the vent open.
Baked Eggplant Parmigiana
Baked Eggplant Parmigiana
I’ve very recently fell in love with eggplant parmigiana. I ate it from my work’s deli hot bar. It was good, but I knew that I could make it better. Eggplant parmigiana’s origins are from the southern regions of Italy; Calabrian, Campania, Apulia, and Sicily all claiming it’s creation. The dish consists of breaded and fried slices of eggplant baked in a tomato sauce, topped with parmesan cheese. Instead of frying the eggplant, I baked it in the oven until crispy; reducing the amount of oil used to make it slightly healthier. To completely ruin the healthier aspect, I added a garlic cream sauce to the dish; plus slices of mozzarella.
Ingredients
Cream Sauce
- 4 tbsp butter
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 3 tbsp flour
- 3 cups whole milk
- 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
- black pepper to taste
- salt to taste
Eggplant Parmigiana
- 1 large eggplant sliced into 1” pieces
- salt
- 1/4 cup flour
- 2 large eggs beaten
- 1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 2 cups tomato sauce divided
- fresh mozzarella sliced
- 1 tbsp dried basil
- 1 tbsp dried parsley
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Slice the eggplant and salt liberally to extract the moisture. Let sit for 10 minutes.
- Make an assembly line of flour in a bowl, beaten egg in one, and breadcrumbs in another. Dredge the eggplant in flour, then the beaten egg, and finally the breadcrumbs.
- Pour the olive oil on a baking sheet. Place the breaded eggplant on the baking sheet.
- Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 20 minutes; flipping half way through.
- While the eggplant is baking, melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Sauté the minced garlic for 2 minutes. Whisk in the flour.
- Pour in the whole milk and continue to whisk for 5 minutes until thickened.
- Take off the heat. Whisk in the parmesan cheese. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Pour half of the tomato sauce into a large glass baking dish. Arrange the eggplant on top of the sauce.
- Pour over the cream sauce.
- Place a spoonful of sauce on top of each slice of eggplant; followed by a slice of mozzarella. Season with the dried herbs. Top with the parmesan cheese.
- Bake in a 400 degree preheated oven for 30-40 minutes until the top is bubbly. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.
