Fricasseed Rabbits
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare and stew
Take a couple of fine rabbits, cut them up or disjoint them.
Put the rabbit pieces into a stew-pan and season with cayenne pepper, salt, chopped parsley, and powdered mace.
Pour in a pint of warm water or veal broth and stew over a slow fire until the rabbits are tender.
When the rabbits are about half done, add bits of butter rolled in flour.
Finish and serve
Just before removing from the fire, enrich the gravy with a jill or more of thick cream and grated nutmeg.
Stir the gravy well, but avoid boiling after adding cream to prevent curdling.
Place the rabbit pieces on a hot dish and pour the gravy over them.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures. See the original page.
Explore the science
What each ingredient does
- Rabbits (in the method)
- Provide the main meat, which becomes tender through slow stewing.
- Butter rolled in flour (in the method)
- Thickens the gravy and adds richness as it melts into the liquid.
- Thick cream (in the method)
- Enriches the gravy, adding richness and a smooth, silky texture.
The step that matters
Avoid boiling after adding the cream. Cream boiled in an acidic or hot gravy can curdle and separate, leaving the sauce grainy. Stirring gently and keeping it below a boil keeps the gravy smooth.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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