Basque Lamb Stew

3 1/2 lbs. lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch pieces
6 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1 sprig fresh rosemary, about 1 tablespoon chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
Salt
2 teaspoons sweet paprika
1 10-ounce can roasted red bell peppers, cut into 1/2 inch strips
1 large ripe tomato, peeled, seeded, and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 bay leaf
1 cup dry, full-bodied red wine
1 cup chicken stock*
Freshly ground black pepper
* If cooking gluten-free, use homemade chicken stock or gluten-free packaged stock.

Combine the lamb, half of the garlic cloves, rosemary, and white wine in a medium bowl. Let marinate for 2 to 3 hours. Drain the meat, discard the marinade, and pat dry with paper towels. Mince the remaining garlic cloves and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan with lid, over medium-high heat. Working in batches, brown the meat on all sides, about 10 minutes per batch. Salt the meat as it browns.

Remove the meat from the pan and add the onions to the pan. Cook, scraping browned bits stuck to the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, until the onions are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook another minute.

Return the meat to the pan with the onions and garlic. Stir in paprika, roasted peppers, tomatoes, parsley, bay leaf, and red wine. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered for 15 minutes, allowing the liquids to reduce a bit. Then add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, stirring occasionally, until meat is very tender, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Add freshly ground black pepper and more salt to taste.

My new Satin Rabbits

Broken Chinchilla doe

Chinchilla Buck

Copper doe (carries chinchilla)

I drove up to Ann Arbor MI this past Sunday to pick up this trio of Satins.  The reason is twofold; one, I need some more meat rabbits to produce meat for the farm market; and two, I am going to try to improve the bodies on my chinchilla Satin Angoras.  The second goal will take some time.  Wool is a recessive gene to regular fur, so it will take 2 generations to get wooled offspring.  Then it will take 3 more generations for the rabbits to be considered purebred, at which point they can be registered.  I don't plan to sell any of the offspring until they are purebred once more.  Along the way, I should get better bodies on my Satin Angoras, which tend to be bony in the hindquarters.  The pictures just don't due these bunnies justice!  Their fur glows with lustre, and the copper especially is gorgeous!   They don't have names, just numbers.  So I need to think up names for them.  The 2 does ear numbers start with SJ, so I've been toying with names like Sarah Jane or Sally Jo.   The buck's ear number starts with KS.  I first thought of Kansas City, but realized that City starts with a "C".  Duh.  I guess its obvious that I need help naming them, so feel free to offer suggestions.  You can even have a prize if you are so inclined....

Korean Fried Rabbit

Canola oil, for frying
5 cloves garlic
1 1½" piece peeled ginger
3 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. gojujang (Korean chile paste)
1 ½ tbsp. rice vinegar
1 tbsp. Asian sesame oil
1 tbsp. honey
⅔ cup flour
1 tbsp. cornstarch
1.5# rabbit pieces

Pour oil into a 6-qt. pot to a depth of 2". Heat over medium-high heat until a thermometer reads 350˚. Chop garlic and ginger in a food processor. Add soy, gojujang, vinegar, sesame oil, and honey; purée. Put sauce into a bowl.

Whisk flour, cornstarch, and ⅔ cup water in another bowl. Add rabbit; toss. Working in 3 batches, fry rabbit until golden, 6–8 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Toss rabbit in sauce.

White Bean and Lamb Soup

1/2 # dried great Northern beans,rinsed
1 onion, chopped
3 T olive oil
3 clovesgarlic, chopped
1 # ground lamb
3 carrots, peeled and diced
3 stalks celery, diced
1.5 cups canned roma tomatoes, with liquid
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
fresh ground black pepper
salt to taste
6 cups chicken broth
1/2 # baby spinach leaves
4 oz feta cheese, crumbled

Soak the dried beans in water overnight. After soaking, drain off remaining water, and rinse. In a large stockpot, cook the onion in oil over low heat until just beginning to soften, about 4 minutes. Stir in garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium, and add lamb; cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in carrots and celery, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in tomatoes, and season with parsley, thyme, oregano, and with freshly ground pepper and salt to taste. Add beans and broth to the pot. Bring to a boil, boil for 5 minutes, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, covered, for 1/1/2 hours, or until beans are tender.

Rinse spinach, and then place in a saucepan. Place over medium heat, and cook until wilted. This will only take a short time, and you will not need to add more liquid to the pan.  Top each serving of soup with wilted spinach and crumbled feta cheese.

Color Comparison

Red (Moulin Rouge)   Wideband Chocolate Agouti (Ginger Hill)  &
Chocolate Agouti (Saraid)

Red Wool - red at tips, gradually blending to creamy at body.

Wideband Chocolate Agouti
chocolate at tips, then a red band, fading to white at the body.
You can see the chocolate tips of the new coat coming in close to the body.

Chcolate Agouti Wool:  Chocolate at tips, the the tan band (tan to red, depending
on the amount of rufus modifiers) with a silvery grey band at the body.
The grey band varies in intensity of color, too.

Rabbit in Dijon Mustard Sauce

1 large rabbit (3–4 lbs.), cut into serving pieces
1⁄2 cup dijon mustard
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp. unsalted butter
1 small onion, finely chopped
1⁄2 cup French chablis or other dry white wine
1 bouquet garni
1⁄3 cup crème fraîche
2 tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley

Smear rabbit pieces with mustard and season with salt and pepper.

Heat 2 tbsp. of the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sear rabbit pieces, turning frequently, until rabbit is very crisp, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a platter.

Reduce heat to medium and melt remaining 2 tbsp. butter in skillet. Add onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 8–10 minutes.  Add wine to skillet and scrape up any browned bits. Return rabbit pieces to the skillet, along with bouquet garni. Cover and cook until rabbit is tender, about 35 minutes.

Remove from heat and stir in crème fraîche and parsley.

2 month old SA kits

Chestnut Agouti Satin Angora kits - 2 months old today.
These are Silverado and Ginger Hill's babies, and are headed for Wisconsin.