CookEat Recipe
Rabbit Soup
A gently simmered rabbit soup with celery, leeks, red wine, demi-glace and sherry.
Method
Steps
Step 1
Preheat a conventional oven to 400°F. Put the ten quarts cold water in a very large stockpot with ample headroom and begin heating. Have a butcher clean and cut the two fresh raw white calf feet into small pieces. Put them in a roasting pan with the half pound raw ham cut into pieces, one pound veal bones, two carrots, two onions and two leeks, all sliced, the three branches parsley root and one celery branch, sliced. Add the ten cloves, four bay leaves, twenty whole allspice berries, two tablespoons whole black peppercorns, one teaspoon thyme and one and a half tablespoons salt. Spread about four tablespoons rendered pork lard over the vegetables and roast until the bones, meat and vegetables are golden, without burning.
Step 2
Transfer the complete roasted mixture to the stockpot and add the one pint canned tomatoes. Bring slowly to a boil and cook for thirty minutes. Cover, lower the heat and keep at a gentle simmer until the liquid has reduced by half. Before proceeding, check that the meat on the feet and the ham have each reached at least 70°C for two minutes, probing away from bone.
Step 3
In a second very large saucepan, heat the three ounces butter, stir in the six tablespoons flour and cook for twenty minutes, stirring regularly, until the roux is thoroughly brown. Carefully pour the hot stock mixture into the roux, mixing well. Keep at a very gentle simmer for twelve hours, stirring regularly and adjusting the heat to prevent catching.
Step 4
Mix in the half pint sherry, then strain through a clean fine conical strainer into clean heat-safe containers, removing all bones and aromatics. Measure two gills of the actual finished demi-glace for this sauce. Loosen that measured portion with a little hot ready-to-use unsalted veal broth until somewhat fluid, and keep all of it hot for immediate use. Rapidly cool the remaining demi-glace in shallow containers and refrigerate at 40°F or below within two hours; use within forty-eight hours or freeze.
Step 5
Use one very small fresh food-grade rabbit from a regulated supplier. Have a butcher skin it, remove the head, feet and tail and bone it carefully for this soup. Check for loose bone fragments and cut all the actual flesh into half-inch pieces; keep refrigerated until cooking. Cut the remaining six celery branches, separate one onion, one seeded green pepper and remaining two leeks into small squares. Brown the meat and vegetables gently in the separate one ounce butter for ten minutes, then stir in one ounce flour and brown for five minutes more.
Step 6
Add the separate two and a half quarts water, one gill red wine and all the loosened two-gill demi-glace portion. Tie the two parsley branches, one chervil branch, one thyme sprig, separate one bay leaf and one sage sprig together with food-safe string and add. Season with two teaspoons salt and half a teaspoon finely ground white pepper and simmer gently for about one and a half hours, stirring occasionally, until the rabbit is tender and its thickest meat pieces reach at least 160°F.
Step 7
Remove and discard the complete herb bouquet and string, stir in the separate two tablespoons sherry, pour the soup into a warm tureen and serve promptly.
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