Lapin A La Bourguignonne Rabbit With Red Wine Sauce Recipes

LAPIN A LA BOURGUIGNONNE (RABBIT WITH RED-WINE SAUCE)

Steps:

• Sprinkle the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper.
• Put the salt-pork cubes in a saucepan and add water to cover. Bring to the boil and simmer about one minute. Drain thoroughly.
• Heat the butter in a large, heavy casserole and add the salt-pork pieces. Cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about three minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring, about two minutes.
• Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, about two minutes. Transfer the onions, mushrooms and salt-pork pieces to a bowl and set aside.
• To the fat remaining in the casserole, add the rabbit pieces in one layer and cook, turning the pieces as necessary, until lightly browned all over, about five minutes. Scatter the mushrooms, onions and salt pork over the rabbit pieces and stir to blend.
• Cook about five minutes and sprinkle with flour, salt and pepper. Add the wine and cloves.
• Tie the parsley, thyme and bay leaf into a bundle and add it. Bring to the boil, cover closely and cook over very low heat about one hour. Remove and discard the herb bunch. Uncover and cook about three minutes to reduce the sauce.

LOBSTER STUFFING FOR RAVIOLI

Steps:

• Cut the spinal cord of each lobster by inserting a knife where the tail and body meet. Tear off the tail and claws of each lobster. Cut the chest portion in half lengthwise, and remove and discard the tough sac near the eyes. Cut the chest portion into small pieces. Cut the small feelers into small pieces. Scrape away and reserve the soft coral and liver from the cavity of each lobster.
• Heat the oil in a large, heavy casserole, and add all of the lobster pieces and any liquid that accumulates from the pieces. Cook, stirring, about one minute. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Add the shallots, onions, carrots and garlic. Add the reserved coral and liver. Cook, stirring, about three minutes, and add the Cognac and wine. Bring to a boil, and add the tomatoes and tomato paste, cayenne, coarsely chopped tarragon, bay leaf and thyme. Bring to the boil, cover closely and let simmer five minutes.
• Remove the lobster tails and claws, and set them aside.
• Pour the remaining mixture, including the shells and cooking liquid, into a food mill, and crush and press to extract as much liquid as possible from the solids. Pour this into a skillet and cook down to slightly less than one cup of sauce.
• When the tails and claws are cool enough to handle, crush and crack them and remove the meat. Cut the meat into small cubes. Put them in a bowl and add the sauce. Add the finely chopped tarragon, if used, and stir. The filling may be used at this point, but it is better to refrigerate it for an hour or longer before using.
• When ready to use the filling, scoop up about one and one-half teaspoons of the mixture, and roll it into a ball. There should be about 32 portions in all. Fill the rolled-out pasta dough. When the ravioli are cooked and drained, serve hot with tomato sauce. Serve four or more portions as an appetizer. Serve eight to 10 portions as a main course.

NESSELRODE PIE

Steps:

• Heat the milk in a saucepan and when it is warm, add the gelatin. Stir to dissolve. Bring just to the simmer and remove from the heat.
• Put the egg yolks in a mixing bowl and add one-quarter cup of sugar. Beat until golden yellow and slightly thickened. Add the hot milk mixture, stirring vigorously.
• Pour this liquid into a saucepan and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, until the custard coats the spoon with a film. The correct temperature on a thermometer is 180 degrees. Immediately pour the mixture into a cold mixing bowl so that it does not cook further. Add the Nesselrode mix and stir. Let cool.
• Beat the egg whites until foamy. Continue beating while gradually adding the remaining one-third cup of sugar. Beat until stiff and fold this into the custard mixture.
• Beat the cream until stiff and fold it into the custard. Pour the mixture into the pie shell. Cover and refrigerate several hours or overnight until set.