Lapin en civet
Therese is, without any doubt the cook par excellence in Nizas. Therese spends an average of 4 hours a day cooking for her family. Every day without exception. Her family at the moment numbers two. Her love for cooking is famous.
Therese gave me her rabbit recipe, short version, naturally, with lots of verbal explanations. I wish I could absorb all of it, but the awful cook that I am I retained the part where she said that next time she cooks her civet I am invited for a meal. Good enough for me.
Lapin en civet
Once you have cleaned your rabbit (Therese’s husband is a hunter and she has to clean her rabbit mine will come cleaned and ready to cook from the supermarket or butcher). Brown in a heavy cooking pan, (preferably on a wood stove), together with a small onion, echalote and one clove of garlic.
Once nicely brown, add salt, pepper, bay leaf, a pinch or so of thyme, 3 grains of genevievre, some dried mushrooms, nutmeg and lot of loving care. Add enough red wine and water to cover meat. The proportion of 2/3 red wine to 1/3 water. Bring to boil, than reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour or 1 1/2 if necessary.
While the rabbit is cooking, add the liver to frying pan and just brown on outside on very hot oil. The whole operation should not last longer that 30 seconds as the liver should remain raw.
In a blender add liver, some wine vinegar, some of the oil in which the liver has cooked, 1 1/2 soup spoons of flour. Blend to a paste and then slowly and tenderly you add the sauce to the rabbit. Continue cooking until the mixture blends and becomes thick. Your supper is ready.
Enjoy!
