Old Friends
When I had just moved to France, at nine years old, and was just beginning to speak good French, one girl in my class was willing to be my friend. We left after a year for the States again, but when we came back to France when I was thirteen, the same girl renewed the friendship. We’ve kept in touch ever since. Today she and her husband run a destination hotel in the countryside outside Paris, and this rabbit stew derives from a dinner she made for us when we visited her there. If you’re running an event near Paris, do it there!
How to make rabbit stew:
Buy a rabbit. Put the whole (skinned and cleaned) rabbit in a heavy casserole with a cup of red wine, a chopped carrot, and a chopped onion. Add enough water to cover the rabbit. Bring to a boil, then simmer for fifteen minutes or until the potatoes are done frying.
Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup of olive oil (and by that I mean olive oil if you can afford it and otherwise plain cooking oil) in a medium-sized frying pan. Cut up three large potatoes (or parsnips) into bite-size pieces. Fry the potatoes until they are golden-brown, then add them to the stew. Skim off the scum from the surface, turn down the heat, and simmer for another hour.
Vegetarian or vegan
This is really neither.
Can I keep this for later?
I think rabbit stew is better freshly cooked. The next day, the rabbit will be good, but the potatoes will be a little soggy. Best to eat it all up.