How to Roast a Lamb_ New Greek Classic Cooking - Michael Psilakis [47]
The blast had scared off any potential prey, so I took aim at a leaf. “See that leaf over there?” I announced. “I’m going to hit it.”
I planted my feet on the ground, trying to take root like a tree. I pulled the trigger again. This time, while I stumbled back a couple of steps, I remained on my feet. Needless to say, I missed the leaf, but that neither deterred me nor diminished the pride that was so apparent on my father’s face and that in turn made my chest swell.
When we got home, we skinned the rabbit and handed it to my mother to cook for dinner. The women took over and transformed our catch into kouneli stifado (a hearty rabbit stew) for the family. Nothing went to waste, not even the pelt, which my father, a furrier, would bring to work the next day.
We all sat around the table, enjoying the meal my mother and sisters had prepared for us, with meat we had just that day hunted to feed our family. The talk at our table that night was all about our journey.
When I first started out as a chef, every time I’d put a game dish on the menu I’d call my father and invite him in to the restaurant to sample it. Feeding people and making them feel welcome always brings me great pleasure, and seeing my father’s joy in eating these particular dishes was especially gratifying. Whether you use meat from game you have hunted yourself or purchased from a butcher, I hope the recipes in this chapter will help to sustain and nourish those you invite to join you at your own table.
The satisfaction I get from hunting—and from bringing back something to eat—is huge. It’s hard to explain, but the idea of sharing both the experience of hunting and the pleasures of cooking and eating the catch is a profound fulfillment for me. You become close to the people you hunt with, and it’s not just the excitement of the hunt itself, but also reliving the stories that then become part of your personal lore.
Here in New York City, we are so removed from the origins of our food that to see the animal in its natural habitat is to learn a new respect for the food we eat and the people with whom we share our food. The food is more special because we know where it came from, and the respect that we show for it—by cooking it well, by enjoying it, and by gaining nutrition and life from the animal that gave its life—are part of the Greek culture that most of us don’t get a chance to experience.
GRILLED RABBIT CONFIT
SIGOPSIMENO KOUNELI STIN SCHARA
SERVES 4 TO 6 FAMILY-STYLE, OR MORE AS PART OF A LARGER SPREAD
As I’ve mentioned, the muscle formation in the legs of most animals makes for tough, stringy meat. Confit involves cooking slowly, which allows these formations to break down and yield a luscious result. The added dimension of grilling provides a brilliant smoky char that takes this dish to new levels. Serve with Greek Salad, Spinach Rice, Artichokes and Potato, or Dried Fruit Salad.
1 whole rabbit, skinned and cut into 8 pieces (the saddle in 2 pieces)
1 whole shallot
10 cloves garlic, peeled
3 fresh bay leaves or 6 dried leaves
8 cloves
15 to 20 whole black peppercorns
8 star anise pods
16 juniper berries
6 cardamom pods
10 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
Blended oil (90 percent canola, 10 percent extra-virgin olive)
Roasted Lemon Purée (page 149, optional)
Lemon wedges, for squeezing
Preheat the oven to 300°F. Rinse the rabbit in cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
In a heavy lidded pot or a large Dutch oven, combine the rabbit with the shallot, garlic cloves, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, star anise pods, juniper berries, cardamom pods, thyme, rosemary, mustard seeds, and 1 tablespoon of kosher salt. Add enough oil to cover by about half an inch, then lightly press