Rabbit Civet
Ăric Gonzalez â The Cuisine of Greater Montreal. Total time: more than 2 hours. Marinating time: 12 hours. Cooking time: About 3 1/2 hours. Difficulty: Easy. Chef's Note: *Mount with butter: to thicken a hot sauce by whisking in small pieces of cold butter. A recipe from Chef Eric Gonzales of Saint-Gabriel Restaurant in Old Montreal. Sommelier: SignĂ© rouge, St-Bruno, Kobloth vineyard, QuĂ©bec (red wine).
Ingredients
| 750 ml | Marinade: red wine | |
| 1 | Marinade: onion, coarsely chopped | |
| 1 | Marinade: carrot, coarsely chopped | |
| 1 | Marinade: celery stalk, coarsely chopped | |
| 1 | Marinade: sprig of thyme | |
| 1 | Civet: rabbit, cut into 6 pieces | |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | Civet: vegetable oil |
| 18 | Civet: peeled pearl onions | |
| 125 g | Civet: diced smoked bacon | |
| 15 g | Civet: flour | |
| 2 | Civet: sprigs fresh thyme | |
| 2 | Civet: cloves of garlic, germ removed | |
| 1 | Civet: bouquet garni (tied) made up of 1 celery stalk, 1 or 2 parsley stems, the green part of 1 leek and 1 bay leaf | |
| 250 ml | Civet: wine from the marinade | |
| 200 ml | Civet: veal stock | |
| 125 ml | Civet: sliced white mushroom caps | |
| 30 g | Civet: butter | |
| 2 tbsp | 30 ml | Civet: cognac or brandy |
| â | salt and pepper to taste |
Instructions
- Place the rabbit pieces and all the marinade ingredients into a large bowl.
- Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for 12 hours.
- Strain the rabbit pieces, reserving the wine from the marinade.
- Heat the oil in an ovenproof cocotte or Dutch oven and sauté the rabbit pieces briskly to brown them on all sides; set aside on a plate.
- In the same pot, sauté the onions and bacon and, once they are browned, add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon.
- Add the rabbit, thyme, garlic, bouquet garni, bay leaf, mushrooms, the wine from the marinade and the veal stock. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cover, bring to a boil and simmer in a preheated 165° C (325° F) oven for 3 hours.
- Remove the rabbit pieces and keep hot; reduce the sauce for a few minutes until it reaches a nice consistency.
- At the last minute, mount the sauce with butter* and add the cognac or brandy.
- Serve the rabbit civet over fresh noodles.