Friday, February 11, 2011

Rabbit Ragout, Hot Buns, also watermelon

A couple sundries from Aunt Babette's Cookbook [1889].



The rabbit has most assuredly died.

Rabbit Ragout (Sweet and Sour)
Prepare as usual. Set on to boil with one onion, a bay leaf, a few whole peppercorns, some cloves and stick cinnamon. Boil until tender, not forgetting the necessary salt.



Add half a teacupful of vinegar and the crust of a rye loaf.



When tender, remove the rabbit to a heated platter. Keep covered until the gravy has boiled down quite thick, adding brown sugar and ginger snaps to thicken the gravy.


Mmmm, buns in the oven.

Hot Buns
Dissolve one piece, or two cents' worth of yeast in half a cupful of lukewarm milk, add a pinch of salt and a little sugar; let this raise. Mix a dough (soft dough) with three cups of milk and sufficient flour to make it just thick enough to roll. Next morning roll, cut round or mold into half-moons. You may add half a cup of butter and sugar, if you wish them extra nice. Let them raise again, about half an hour after putting them in the pan, and when half baked brush them with beaten egg.



Watermelon: Because I felt like it.


Verdict:

Rabbit Ragout: Better than the jugged hare recipe I made, actually. The gravy was pretty good, too. I'm afraid I'm still not a rabbit fan, though, even though it does taste like chicken. The joints... are just so slightly wrong. I did not eat very much. I will also be honest here and say that my mother actually took care of this recipe, as looking at it was making me feel ill.

Hot Buns: Tasty! I didn't add the butter or sugar that would've made it "extra nice", but still just fine. It is just a soft white roll recipe. There was some lovely homemade raspberry jam that went with them delightfully. What is the difference between a roll and a bun, anyway?

Watermelon: I swallowed a watermelon seed.

11 comments:

Bethany said...

I get it! I get it! ;D

Nonna said...

I'm with you on the cooking part with the rabbit...my Hubs would also have to take care of it for me...looking at raw meat of any kind gives me the Icky OOOies...those buns look divine and I swallow watermelon seeds all the time !

nali said...

Can't wait for that little watermelon seed to grow into about a 7 lbs. 'watermelon'!

Bethany said...

The Rabbit has died.
Bun in the Oven.
Swallowed a Watermelon seed.

Still funny today!

But big question - where are the BABY carrots???

Jana said...

There's another good idea!

nali said...

But who needs the carrots? The rabbit already died!

~~louise~~ said...

Intriguing post, very interesting, indeed...

Thanks for sharing...

Bethany said...

So now that you are all pregnant and everything - surely there are some cookbooks for the pregnancy diet! Can't wait to see what you come up with next!

Jana said...

Sadly, no. Not that I have, anyway. Sigh!

nali said...

nothing for a woman in a delicate condition?

Nonna said...

You all are hilarious !!!