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Rabbit Stew.

Rabbit was once a luxury for most families but over time it has disappeared from menus in Ireland. It is a beautiful meat to eat and great fun to cook. This recipe is a simple one so give it a try and watch your guests faces as they eat and rediscover a taste from times gone bye.

Serves 6-4

1 rabbit

350g streaky bacon

450g onions

350 carrot, peeled and sliced

700ml of good stock

Sprig of thyme

350g of mushrooms sliced

1 tablespoon of parsley

Joint the rabbit into 8 pieces and set aside. Cut the bacon into neat lardons and in a pan sauté until crisp, transfer to a casserole.

In the same frying pan sauté the rabbit pieces until nice and golden, add to the bacon. Sauté the onion and carrot in a little butter and again add to the casserole, deglaze the sauté pan with stock, bring to the boil and pour over the rabbit pieces. Add the thyme and season well and place in an oven for 30 -45 minutes at 170 degrees.

When the rabbit is cooked strain off the cooking liquid and pour into a pan. Bring to the boil and reduce. Add back to the meat and sauté the mushrooms and add to the meat and stock, now add the cream and parsley and serve at once.

SUPPORT LOCAL

We hear this slogan everywhere "support local", but the thing is, if we don't we will be in danger of loosing our food heritage to big global food corporations. We in Ireland have the best of raw ingredients in the world, we have some of the best farmers, best chefs and a passion for food that has to be harnessed and the only way we can do this is by supporting local butchers, fish mongers, grocers, bakers and anyone else that is involved in creating great food for us to eat.
I came across a fantastic product this week made by a brilliant woman, Julie Calder-Potts, its Irelands answer to maple syrup. A thick pure organic apple syrup made in Highbank Orchards in Co. Kilkenny (www.highbankorchards.com) this stuff will go with almost anything, roast pork, porridge, pancakes, ham, and I recon it would be a match made in heaven with pan fried herrings coated in oats. So if you see it buy it and support local.
Another local man who is in business 30 years this week is Billy Murphy, a old time butcher with old time values, he seeks out his own cattle and butchers them to sell in his shop in Waterford Shopping Centre. He goes about his business quietly keeping quality meat and serving loyal customers. His son Aidan Murphy spent two years rattling pots and pans in the Kitchens at the castle learning a trade which he now applies in the cook shop at his fathers butchers shop. So again if you are in the area go in and ask Billy for some of his own beef, you will not be disappointed...