Rabbit Stifado (Κουνέλι Στιφάδο)

Lamb and sheep are cute animals, chickens are cute when they are born, calves are cute, turkeys are majestic with their plumage, deer are a adorable.

All the above animals do not posess the "Fugly" gene yet we eat them.

Rabbits are cute and sadly delicious!

I just wanted to draw the parallel before any hypocrites write or opine saying...oh but rabbits are so cute and cuddly. Creampuff the the white-tailed bunny is cute, adorable and untouchable.

Sammy the the fornicating bunny at the ranch has been bred to be eaten and in my opinion, is totally fair game in this cut-throat food chain that is Earth.

If you're a vegetarian...this post is not for you. I am cutting up a rabbit here into pieces, browning it off in a pot and braising it until the meat forks off the bone.

Rabbit is good eats.

Stifado is a Greek stew of lots & lots of onions, some tomato product and a protein being the usual ingredients. The most popular Stifados are made with rabbit or hare but I've also enjoyed beef or veal, octopus and rooster stifado.

One of my earliest (and fondest) memories of Stifado goes back to my visit to Greece in 1988. I was in my father's town (Amynteon, Florinis), staying with relatives and my Uncle Pavlo (bless his soul) had shot a huge wild hare on his farmland.

Like with any wild game, the meat is wilder tasting and tougher as the animal has developed more muscle mass and it's diet is more complex that the farm fare of it's rabbit cousins.

Hare demands that it be marinated overnight in red wine, herbs, spices and then cooked in a slow braise that ultimately becomes an aromatic stew that will perfume your home.

Exit wild hare and enter rabbit. Rabbit is far milder in flavour and one would be hard pressed to taste-test if they were eating chicken or rabbit.

So, many ask why eat rabbit when one can have chicken? Easy...at least you know you're eating rabbit - not some Franken-chicken that you bought cut up into pieces, wrapped in plastic by Dexter and removed of any evidence of having two heads!

I apologize to no one for my food choices, especially when it comes to my delight in eating rabbit. Oh sure, the pet store gang of rabbits are the elite, untouchable ones but my farm-raised rabbit has probably had more action than any of us have seen in our lifetime.

The sacrifical rabbit is justified and I'm going to share this Stifado dish which celebrates Greek cooking at it's best: taking less popular ingredients (rabbit), cooking it simply and cooking it well.

Few ingredients are used here but the quality is high. Take the time to make a Stifado...you'll be rewarded with a delicious meal that will awaken the olfactory and transport you my aunt's Greek kitchen, complete with loud Greeks, hungry children and thankful guests.

Rabbit Stifado (Κουνέλι Στιφάδο)
(for 4)

1 whole rabbit, cut into pieces
1/2 cup olive oil
15-16 whole small onions
6 whole cloves of garlic
salt and pepper
flour for dredging
2 heaping Tbsp. of tomato paste
+ 1 cup of water to dillute it in
1 cup dry red wine
3 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
lots of cracked black pepper

Pre-heated 350F oven

1. After cutting up your rabbit into pieces, rinse and pat dry and lightly dredge in seasoned flour. In a large, oven safe Dutch oven, add a few turns of olive oil over medium-high heat and brown-off the pieces of rabbit in batches and reserve in a plate.
   
2. Turn down the heat and add your wine and deglaze and scrape up the brown bits at the bottom of the pot. Add your rabbit back in the pot, followed by the onions, garlic, dilluted tomato paste, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and cracked black pepper.
3. Bring to a boil and cover and season with salt and pepper. Place in your pre-heated oven (middle rack) and braise for about 90 minutes. Carefully take the stew out of the oven and taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
4. Remove the lid and place back in the oven for another 30 minutes. This step will cook-off the remaining liquid, thicken and brighten your sauce to a warm, red colour.
5. Serve each plate with a heap of onions, couple of pieces of rabbit and a spoonful of sauce. Grind some fresh black pepper over top and serve with some good, homemade bread and a dry, Greek red wine.

Note on cutting up rabbit:
The rabbit usually comes headless and the body is in tact with organ meat inside. What I did was dissect it in half (lengthwise, then I lopped off the hind and front legs. What you're left with is the middle part of the rabbit - the saddle.

You can cut the 2 saddle halves into two, leaving you with four pieces plus the four legs.

Lamb and Artichokes Avgolemeno

More cool and rainy days upon us but this weekend's supposed to be sweltering hot. For those familiar with hot weather on the east coast, we're expecting hot & humid weather for the weekend.

This cooler weather is allowing me to squeeze in some Greek comfort dishes before I'm in "full-on" grilling weather.

It is still Spring which means lamb is season along with lemons and artichokes. Following me so far?

It's wonderful to be able to have affordable lamb in the Spring and celebrate each & every time it's on the table. What you have here is a dish that would be served to you in a Greek home or at one of the many "open-kitchen" style eateries that are still quite popular in Greece.

Lamb and Artichokes Avgolemono
(for 6)

1 shoulder of lamb (approx 1 kg.)
12 small artichokes, peeled and cleaned
1/2 cup olive oil
6 scallions, finely chopped
3 medium onions, sliced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup chopped fresh dill
2-3 cups of water
salt & pepper to taste

Avgolemono
2 eggs
juice of 1/2 lemon
1 Tbsp. flour
splash of water

1. Clean/trim your artichokes and place in a water bath that's heavily spiced with lemon juice and reserve.
2. In a large pot, add your olive oil over medium-high heat and then add your onions, scallions and garlic(add toward the end) and simmer on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes to soften and almost all the liquid is gone. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sauteed vegetables and reserve on a plate.
3. Using the same pot, add your lamb shoulder (some more oil if necessary) and brown over medium-high heat for about 5-7 minutes or until a nice colour has formed. Add back your sauteed onions and scallions and season with salt and pepper and add enough water (2-3 cups) to cover.
   
4. Place the cover on the pot and simmer for about 90 minutes or until the meat is fork tender and becomes easy to remove from the bone.
5. Add your artichokes and chopped fresh dill and simmer for another 20-30 minutes (or until the artichokes are tender). Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and take off the heat. Remove the bone and separate the meat into pieces.
   
6. Meanwhile in a bowl, prepare your Avgolemono Sauce by beating your eggs and flour and while still beating, add your lemon juice plus a splash of cold water.
7. Take a ladle of stock from the the pot and whisk into the Avgolemono mixture. Continue whisking and add another ladle of stock.
8. Add your Avgolemono back into your pot and shake the pot gently to allow the Avgolemono to set with the rest of the stew.
   

Okra Two Ways (μπάμιες με δυο τροπους)

Another staple of the Greek kitchen are okra. Okra is used alot in southern US cooking, Afro-American "soul food", the Louisiana dish of Gumbo's main ingredient is okra and in the Caribbean, Callaloo gets the okra treatment.

Okra look and taste similar to beans but then are obviously thicker and taper like a thin pepper. One of the advantages of okra is that the vegetable also acts as a thickening agent and that's the main reason why it's used in stews..

Here, I'm showing you two okra dishes from the Greek kitchen. One is a vegetarian Okra stew and the other is a stew of okra with veal or beef. The recipes have minor differences but the approach is the same and the great flavour is enjoyed in both.

The vegetarian dish can be served as a side, made into a main course or offered up as a meze. The meat version is of course, a stew that feeds a healthy and balanced meal.

Spice-wise, we don't get too fancy here, allspice berries are the star here and from tasting this dish, you'd think other spices and were added but nah...it's just the allspice.

Lis of La Mia Cucina is hosting a food event called Weekend Cookbook Challenge, an event created by my fellow left-coast Canadian, Sara of I Like To Cook. The only pre-requisite for this challenge is to cook something using a pressure cooker, dutch oven or slow cooker. These okra dishes are perfect for this event...you have here a pressure cooker, some braising and tender, flaky veal in a stew of tomatoes and okra...Yum!

Okra With Veal

1 kg. of stewing veal or beef, cut into large chunks
1lb. of okra (fresh or frozen), stems removed
3 medium onions, sliced
1/2 cup of parsley, chopped
1/2 cup of plum tomatoes, pureed 4-5 cloves of garlic, sliced
8-9 allspice berries
1/4 olive oil
beef/veal stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. Using your pressure cooker, place your veal inside with a little salt and cover with enough water to just cover the meat. Turn the heat to high and when your cooker starts whistling and the seal has been made, reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 20 minutes. Take the pressure cooker off the heat and safely release the pressure.
2. In a separate large pot, add your olive oil, sliced onions and simmer for 10 minutes over medium heat.
3. Add your tomato puree, then the okra, parsley, allspice, garlic and top with the veal. Now pour enough of the veal stock from the pressure cooker to just cover all the ingredients in your pot.
4. Bring to a boil, taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover, reduce heat to medium and simmer for 1 hour. Taste for seasoning and let stand for 15 minutes (the okra will thicken the sauce).
5. Serve with some feta cheese, crusty bread and mop-up!

Vegetarian Okra Stew

2 medium onions, sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
1/3 cup parsley
1 lb. okra (fresh or frozen), stems removed
1/3 cup plum tomatoes, pureed
3-4 cloves of garlic
5-6 allspice berries
Approx. 2 cups of vegetable stock
salt and pepper to taste

1. In a pot over medium-high heat, add your olive oil and onions and saute for 10 minutes to soften.
2. Add your okra, tomato puree, parsley, garlic, allspice and vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
3. Cover, reduce to a simmer and cook for 30-45 minutes.
4. Serve warm with bread and feta.
   

John Dory Fillet With Lentils (Χριστόψαρο με φακή)

As I've written in some of my earlier posts, Greek cuisine is going through an awakening. Much like other cuisines, the Greeks are reinterpreting traditional dishes with new ingredients and offering "new takes" and presentations.

One such Greek chef at the forefront of this movement is Lefteris Lazarou. He's well-known inside Greece and his star is slowly rising outside of Greece too. He's one of the few Greek chefs to earn a Michelin star.

This fish dish that I've prepared is inspired by a dish I recently came across. He (Lefteris) pairs John Dory Fillets with lentils.

Greeks usually enjoy lentils as a hearty soup (Fakkes) but here lentils are braised to a thicker form, more akin to a stew than a soup.

I really enjoyed eating the lentils in this form. They were an excellent side to my fish and the leftovers made for a delicious pasta with lentils.

For the lentil stew, I used the traditional ingredients found in Fakkes and the fish was simply pan-fried and finished off with brown butter caper sauce.

When pan-frying a fish fillet, I recommend using a non-stick pan as it's a safe method for keeping your fish in tact.


John Dory Fillet With Lentils (Χριστόψαρο με φακή)
(for 4)

For the Lentils

500 gr. green lentils
1/3 cup olive oil
2 bay leaves
1 carrot, diced
1 medium onion, diced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 cup diced red pepper
1/2 tomato passata
2 cups of vegetable broth
2 tsp. dried oregano
salt and pepper to taste
splash of white wine vinegar

For the John Dory

4 John Dory fillets
1 tsp. Vegeta seasoning
1 tsp. sweet
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
4 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1/4 cup Chardonnay
4 tsp. of capers

1. Rinse and drain your lentils. Place in a medium saucepan with just enough water to cover them and bring to a boil, drain in a strainer and rinse with cold water.
2. In the same saucepan, add your olive oil, onions, carrots, peppers, bay leaves and garlic and saute for about five minutes to soften. Add your lentils and stir to coat.
3. Now add your tomato passata, vegetable stock and bring to a boil.
4. Simmer covered for 45-60 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, add your dried oregano and white wine vinegar to taste.
5. Reserve and keep warm.
6. Rinse and pat dry your fish fillets. Season with Vegeta, paprika and some cayenne and reserve.
7. In a small saucepan, add your butter and melt over over medium heat and watch over the butter until it turns to a nut-brown colour. Take off the heat and reserve.
8. In a non-stick skillet, add your olive oil over medium high heat and just when it begins to smoke, add your fish fish fillets and saute for 2 minutes a side. Saute in batches and keep warm.
9. In the same skillet, throw in your wine and reduce over medium heat for a minute or two. Add the brown butter and capers and swirl your skillet to blend everything and to warm through.
10. Serve over your John Dory fillets with the lentil stew.
    

Awesome Osso Bucco

Osso Bucco is a northern Italian dish, from the Lombardy region (near Milano). The old school Osso Bucco did not include tomatoes (as they appeared in Italy after the dishes creation).

This dish is made with veal shanks and icing on the cake for this dish has to be the marrow inside each bone.

I made the familiar Osso Bucco with a tomato base and I haven't deviated too much from what I've researched on the 'net.

I've used aspects of Tyler Florence's and Mario Batali's Osso Bucco and I created what I think will be a delicious meal for Italian guests.

I'm a big fan of braised meats and the I knew the Osso Bucco would taste great - just from the aroma coming from the kitchen. But I knew I also forgot something (first time making it).

I forgot to tie the shanks with butcher's twine. Oh well, next time!

Today I've invited Maryann of Finding La Dolce Vita and Maria of Proud Italian Cook. The "donas" are hosting a food event called, Festa Italiana and you're all invited.

Simply create a dish or drink of Italian panache and the gals will let you in the door.

Make yourselves at home, this Greek dude is cooking up some Osso Bucco for "da ladies" and before we get on to the dish..."Tutti a tavola a mangiare!"

Veal Osso Bucco
(serves 4)

1 cup all purpose flour
salt and ground pepper
4 veal shanks, tied into taute rounds
olive oil
3 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium onion, diced
1 stalk of celery, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 lemon, zest peeled off into strips
3 bay leaves
4 cloves of garlic, smashed
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
1/2 bottle Italian red wine
3 cups of chicken stock
2 cups of good tomato sauce
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme

Gremolata

1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp. lemon zest
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. of fresh thyme

1. Mix your salt and pepper in a bowl with the flour and taste to be sure the seasoning is correct. Dredge your shanks in the flour and shake off any excess.
2. Heat a large pot or dutch oven over medium heat and add your olive oil (3 count) and the butter. Brown your shanks in batches (do not overcrowd or they will boil). Reserve the shanks on a plate.
3. Preheat your oven to 375F.
4. Using the same pot, saute the onions, celery, carrots, lemon peels, garlic, parsley and bay leaves over medium heat (for about 7-10 minutes).
5. Add your shanks (and any juices) back into the pot and add your red wine, thyme and simmer until the wine has reduced by half.
6. Add the chicken stock and tomato sauce, bring to a boil and cover with the lid.
7. Braise your Osso Bucco in the oven for 90 minutes. Remove the cover and continue to cook for another 20-30 minutes (enough for the sauce to become thick).
8. Serve on a bed of garlic mashed potatoes or risotto Milanese and top with the Gremolata.

Lamb Fricasee With Avgolemeno

Lamb is much enjoyed by Greeks. I've always liked lamb and I'd eat more of it if weren't so fattening and cost-prohibitive (yes I prefer lamb chops).

Lamb Fricasee was not a dish I enjoyed as a kid but I had an epiphany one late night on the Danforth, Toronto's Greektown.

Back then I was the President of a Greek youth group and many evenings were spent at our associations' center caught up with meetings and events.

This lifestyle was not conducive to enjoying home cooking but hey, I could have souvlaki and gyros each night right? Wrong! You get sick of the same thing each night and my soul cried for a Greek dish that would make me feel at home again.

The Old Byzantion restaurant came to the rescue. It was a restaurant with tables just like any other but what made this restaurant unique was it's "open style" kitchen.

A patron walks into the eatery and then they are asked to come to back to see the day's offerings...daily specials made with market fresh ingredients. Each day a different array was showcased.

Old Byzantion was also made great because the chef was and older Greek fella named Mihali, the dude worked most of his life cooking on cruise ships...the man was The Champ!

Mihali recommended that evening, Lamb Fricasee. This recipe resembles the French original but here it's a stew.

This is a classic Greek dish made with lamb, Romaine lettuce, green onions, celery, and dill, which are stewed together. An Agvolemeno (egg-lemon sauce), is stirred in just before serving.

Lamb Fricasee With Avgolemeno
(feeds 4)

1kilo of lamb shoulder chops
3 heads of Romaine lettuce
(rinsed and hand-torn)
1/4 cup olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 bunches of scallions, chopped
1/2 bunch of fresh dill, chopped
5 sprigs of fresh mint (2 Tbsp. dry)
salt and pepper to taste

Avgolemeno Sauce
2 large eggs
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 Tbsp. flour

1. Place the lamb in a pressure cooker and cover with enough water to submerge the meat. Place the cover on your cooker, turn to high heat and when the seal has been made and you start to hear the whistle, lower the heat to medium and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Take the pressure cooker off the heat and release the pressure by flipping the switch that releases the steam. Open the lid only when you no longer hear any steam escaping.
2. In a large pot, add your oil and on medium heat, saute your onions and scallions for 5-7 minutes to soften.
3. Add your lettuce in batches and cover with the lid and turn to high heat. As each batch of lettuce wilts, you will have room to add the next batch of lettuce to wilt (usually three batches). Boil down the lettuce until most of the liquid is gone.
4. Take some lamb stock from the pressure cooker and add enough stock into the pot to cover the lettuce.
5. Add your chopped dill and mint and stir in. Simmer for 30 minutes on medium with the lid slightly ajar. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
   
6. Add your pieces of lamb on top and allow to heat through for about 10 minutes.
7. Meanwhile in a bowl, prepare your Avgolemeno Sauce by beating your eggs and flour and while still beating, add your lemon juice plus 1/8 cup of cold water.
8. Take a ladle of stock from the the Fricasee and whisk into the Avgolemeno mixture. Continue whisking and add another ladle of stock.
9. Remove the pot of Fricasee from the heat, add your Avgolemno Sauce to the Fricasee and gently shake the pot back and forth for the sauce to penetrate the entire stew. Check and adjust seasoning.
   
10. Serve each plate with the stewed lettuce and lamb and pour over some Avgolemeno Sauce and serve with crusty bread.

Stew of Veal With Carrots (Μοσχαρaki με καροτα)

When I was young, I didn't like having the "Greek" meals like the one here. I didn't like carrots, I thought bay leaves and spices were weird.

What led to my awakening to good food and all food Greek? Perhaps it was spending summers traveling and being absent from my mom's home cooking or perhaps it was eating too much of one of my aunt's bad cooking or combination of both.

How can one not love this dish? Look at it. Look at the ingredients. Look at the flaky meat! I prepared this dish using a pressure cooker to save time but you may certainly brown the veal and then braise all the contents in a dutch oven. My way took one hour, the slow way takes 2 1/2 hours. Your choice.


Stew of Veal With Carrots (Μοσχαρaki με καροτα)

1 kg. of stewing veal, cut in large pieces
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup of canned tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 cup of dry white wine
3 cloves of garlic, smashed
1 large onion, roughly chopped
3 bay leaves
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 tsp. dried rosemary
5-6 carrots, sliced into
1/2 inch rounds
5 peppercorns
4 whole cloves
1 Tbsp. sea salt
1 tsp. black pepper

1. Cut your veal into large pieces and place in the pressure cooker.
2. Add the remaining ingredients into the pressure cooker and stir well.
3. Close the lid of the pressure cooker and turn your heat to high. Your seal will have formed when the pressure cooker starts whistling.
4. Reduce the heat to medium and allow the pressure and steam to do it's work for 45 minutes and break down the meat and other ingredients.
5. Turn off the heat, remove the pressure cooker from the burner and switch the valve that releases the steam and pressure.
6. Only open the pressure cooker when the whistling and steam have all escaped.
7. Stir your stew and taste for seasoning, adjust with salt and pepper.
8. Continue to simmer if you wish the sauce to be thicker or combine 1 Tbsp of corn starch with 1 tsp. of cold water and mix into the stew to thicken.
9. Serve with roast potatoes and crusty bread..."kai VOUTA"!