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Big Green Egg Home Cook Challenge: Create an entire meal with wild game

1/9/2021

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Picture
also Results: Accomplished!
I am proud to have worked with the Big Green Egg for over a decade as a creative contributor and serious EGGhead. I have been around EGGs since 1977 as my parents had one of the "originals" and I grew up right down the road from Ed Fisher's (founder) first retail store. I have also been involved with helping their marketing team publish Big Green Egg Lifestyle since 2010. So many delicious meals later,  we decided to try some new things and they asked me to prepare and create an entire wild game meal on the Big Green Egg by just "me." I am not a professional chef by any means, however, I love food and have been around professional chefs my entire life My husband, Dan, and I have four (4) EGGs at home and love everyone one of them. And yes, these are my babies! (2) Large EGGS, (1) Small EGG and my sweet little mini! 

I am all about creating realistic, easy-to-make, wholesome food that you can cook at home. Especially these days! After researching wild game, I decided to try rabbit - something totally new for me. I was curious how it would turn out. I can say in one word - AMAZING! 

Rabbit is often available at specialty markets, fresh or frozen, or can be ordered by your local butcher. If you can find fresh rabbit, have your butcher piece it out for you. I sourced my rabbit from Tim Worley, owner of a Bentley’s All Natural Butcher store in the small town of Winder, Georgia. All of their specialty meats and wild game are hormone free with no preservatives. Thanks, Tim and team!

Next, I had to figure out what to pair with this meal. With the help of James Stone. glass artist and former restaurant owner, we decided on bourbon in his kicking' hand-blown rocks glasses!  WOW!!
​
Rabbit has a earthier and more intense flavor than chicken - a bit more similar to bone in chicken thighs. The texture is bit different, however, stewing on the EGG really intensifies the flavors for a delicious and nutritional savory winter meal. I really enjoyed making this dish and hope you will try it, too."
~ Nancy Suttles, Creative Director and Dedicated Home Cook

Background
A peasant dish that’s fit for a king, rabbit stew has long been a mainstay on menus across Europe – think ‘Stuffat tal-Fenek’, is considered Malta’s national dish, Coniglio alla cacciatora (hunter’s rabbit stew) in Italy, Estofado de conejo (rabbit stew) in Spain and Lapin à la cocotte (rabbit casserole) in France. Rabbit is also eaten in stews and tagines in Morocco and North Africa. Rabbit is becoming popular again and this warming stew is an old classic. Because rabbit meat tends to dry out during the cooking process, braising it slowly in liquid in this way guarantees the meat to be so tender it falls off the bone. Source: roadsandkingdoms.com


Ingredients
 Print

  • 1 ounce of dried porcini mushrooms
  • 1½ pounds mixed fresh mushrooms
  • 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 4 tbsp butter
  • 2 tbsp all-purpose flour
  • 1 whole rabbit, broken down into pieces 
  • 3 large shallots, chopped
  • 3 carrots, sliced
  • 2 celery stalks, chopped
  • 10 small yellow or red potatoes, whole or sliced
  • 1 cup sherry or white wine
  • 1-2 cups water to soak mushrooms
  • 3 cups chicken or vegetable stock – Nancy used “Better than Bouillon” 
  • 1 tbsp fresh thyme or 2 teaspoons dried thyme
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 tsp chopped fresh parsley

InstructionsEquipment
Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven 
Method
Set EGG for direct cooking without a convEGGtor at 500°F/260°C with the Dutch oven preheating in the EGG. Soak the dry porcini mushrooms in water and drain to remove any grit. Set aside.

Season the rabbit legs with salt and pepper. Put the 4 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil into the Dutch oven. When the butter has melted and the oil is hot, add the rabbit legs (in batches if necessary – the meat should sear, not steam). Brown the legs on all sides then remove from the pan and set aside. (video shown above)

Add the convEGGtor for indirect cooking at 375°F/191°C with the Dutch oven back in the EGG.

Add the shallots, celery, porcini and wild mushrooms to the Dutch oven and cook until soft and beginning to caramelize. Stir in 2 tablespoons of flour and add enough wine to deglaze the pan. Return the rabbit legs and add the rest of the wine, chicken or vegetable stock, potatoes, carrots and thyme making sure the pieces of rabbit are submerged. For more flavor add the back, ribs and belly loin portions to the stock. Cover the Dutch oven and cook for 60–70 minutes until the rabbit is tender. After 30 minutes, remove the lid to allow the liquid to reduce.

Before serving, remove the back and ribs. For the legs and belly loin, remove meat from the bones and shred. Serve the stew with hunks of freshly baked bread and quinoa salad.

Quinoa Salad Ingredients
  • 3 cups quinoa, cooked according to the package directions
  • 1 persimmon or blood orange, sliced thinly
  • ¼ cup pomegranate arils (seeds)
  • 1 bunch of fresh kale, striped from stem and cut into ribbons
  • 4 tsp fresh lemon juice, separated

Quinoa Salad InstructionsSet your EGG for indirect cooking with the convEGGtor at 325°F/163°C.

In a bowl, massage the kale and toss with 2 tsp lemon juice and let sit while the persimmons or blood oranges cook. This will reduce the coarseness of the kale.

Dry and toss the persimmons or blood oranges with olive oil, salt and pepper. Place on a roasting pan and cook for about 5 minutes or until slightly browned. Remove and set aside.

Place the kale on the roasting pan and cook for about 10 minutes, until soft and wilted.

Toss the quinoa with the wilted kale and garnish with pomegranate arils, persimmon or roasted orange slices. Add 2 tsp of lemon juice and serve.

Roasted Garlic Bread Ingredients
  • 2-4 whole garlic bulbs to roast for the bread
  • 1 tbsp extra virgin olive for the garlic 
  • 1 loaf of 5 grain bread

Roasted Garlic Bread Instructions

​Equipment
Aluminum foil
Method
Set your EGG for indirect cooking with the convEGGtor at 375°F/191°C.
Slice off the top of the garlic bulb (depending on the size of your bulb it should be around ¼ to ½ inch from the top) to expose the individual cloves. Discard any loose papery outer layers. Drizzle the exposed garlic cloves with olive oil. Wrap each bulb with aluminum foil and place on the cooking grid. Cook for 30-40 minutes. While the garlic is roasting, wrap the loaf of bread in aluminum foil and cook 10 minutes or until warm.
Once the garlic is soft, remove from the EGG and unwrap. Gently remove the individual roasted garlic cloves from the skins and spread over warmed bread.
Enjoy!
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