Something to pass the time and enjoy.
This was inspired by an eight volume encyclopaedia of Spanish cooking that I picked up in a flea market for 10 euros some years ago. Its appeal for me was that it was printed in 1975 when Franco died. Fate. Also first edition. More fate. Actually ONLY edition. Maybe not fate. The photos are very dated but the recipes are not only fantastic, but also taught me many useful words. The index is FATAL! The rabbit was under chicken and the chicken omitted rabbit – you get the drift. This is my adapted version, and let’s be clear (as the politicians say when they are not being clear!), what housewife does not make her own version? Sounds sexist? Depends on your valuation of a housewife. Mine is extremely high.
I have to add that this is the dish my repeat visitors ask for – in whatever form.
So let’s get started and please read the variations at the bottom.
Ingredients for 4-6 – can be multiplied easily as required:
About 10 chicken wings and drum sticks and about 10 medallions rabbit
or
A whole rabbit chopped if you do not want chicken. Or a whole chicken if you don’t want rabbit.
10 cloves garlic
I lemon, juice and peel
4 bushy sprigs rosemary and 1 tsp herbs du Provence or just thyme branches – not rosemary with Thyme!
Caldo Casero – no bloody stock cubes! (so homemade chicken or vegetable stock – here you can buy it in any supermarket in litre cartons)
2 Glasses white wine – dry
Pepper and salt
Sweet paprika- just a pinch
Lots of chopped parsley heaped spoon corn starch
Olive oil – both basic quality and the best you have
Stage 1
- Toss the chicken and rabbit liberally with salt and pepper
- Heat about 4 tablespoons normal olive oil in thick bottomed iron enamelled casserole pan and cook fowl slowly in batches on all sides until nicely browned. Start with the chicken so that the rabbit gets juicier in its fat. Always add the breasts last. Remove to bowl and turn off stove.
- Chop (do not press!) 6 of garlic cloves coarsely. Wipe fat fat from cooled casserole – this will also remove a lot of salt and pepper. Add excellent olive oil – about 4 tblsp again and put pan on lowest heat. Add garlic and as soon as it releases lovely smell add I glass white wine. Pour the other for yourself to enjoy. Absolutely essential!
- Reduce wine to take off that raw taste, add caldo, grated peel of the lemon, paprika and half lemon juice to the pot. Reduce further about 2 minutes.
- Add the fowl and the rosemary and mix up – add a bit of water if you think it would be better. Put in a slow oven 30 minutes covered. Remove. Cover and let cool down until needed. It’s a good idea to stir once in a while. You can do this stage the day before so good prep for guests. Actually you can do this stage and freeze it! Then continue below when needed.
Stage 2 –
- When you are ready to finish, light a plancha and when hot, remove the fowl from the liquid and grill gently on all sides for about 7-10 minutes. Must look no more than a little sun burnt!
- In the meantime reduce the remaining liquid, discarding the rosemary first, until a thickened juice. Mix in the 4 garlic cloves mashed with some salt, juice of half a lemon and the herbs of Provence. Add corn starch mixted into a small cup of COLD water. Just let it gently cook. Add more caldo if needed but keep the gravy fairly thick. You can always add more cornstarch.
- Place the fowl in this juice, mix, top with the parsley and serve with a green salad and tomato bread. Alternatively if a designer snob, arrange the meat, and then pour the sauce overt, finished off with a generous sprinkle of parsley.
I admit I often do not have parsley as it is not sold in my local but given free with fish. This is not fish so I can not ask for the free parsley. Nor can I pay for it. Not a deal breaker.
Delicious and can be gently reheated the next day when it is usually even better – so a great party dish.
P.S. you can skip the plancha bit and just heat up again for 20-30 min low heat. I’m a great believer in double or even triple cooking. Four times is too much.
P.S.S. If you just use rabbit but it will be drier. Just chicken a bit dull.
P.S.S.S. good white wine recommended.
For very hungry people I add a side dish of my special fried rice. It’s not Chinese and it’s not paella, but also super popular. Recipe coming soon.
.
Que aproveche!
I love this! What great housewife wouldn’t! X
Are you a housewife?
Delicious, and I read it when hungry after gardening. will certainly give it a go.
It’s a stew or fresh or whatever! Xx
Thank-you for that, Stephanie. I will certainly try it. But could I just point out that you missed out the most important fact – the name of the white wine bodega. Or at least the grape.
I just said a good white, but if you would like a recommendation, in this area Bodega Flors Clotas white is nectar. Protos from Ribereira Del Duero is excellent and easy to find. Reuda produces some many excellent whites but beware of the cheaper ones. My favourite white wine is el Grifo seco from Lanzarote and matured in coves. €12 and free shipping until April 30th.
It has to be the Volcanic Malvasia one for €14.50 sorry! Here is the link
https://elgrifo.com/tienda/gb/
I couldn’t help but think of Keith Floyd while reading Stephanie’s run through on the recipe. Great dish!
A Raconteur, Photographer and Chefess, roll over Michelangelo, you are history!
Love Keith Floyd. Even now…
It really sounds tasty and mouth watering. I wish I had a kitchen WTG Steph…xxxx
P.S., I still have those lovely plates from the French supermarket I bought with you and carried home on the plane … wish I’d bought more bowls – I had 4, but now only 2!
What was the white nectarines with some kind of meat recipe you did … it was so yummy!
Scrumptious recipes are exactly what’s needed right now …
Need the special fried rice recipe so I can try it complete please Chef Stephanie!
PS I am boring and will only use chicken …
But actually I’m not at all boring …
Well not to myself anyway!
coming re rice – have had many requests lol.!
Yes, I regret not buying more of those plates. Like you, I have few left. They turn out to have quite a famous history and now are worth a bomb!!!
sorry to suggest that! xxxx