Thursday 15 July 2010

Rabbit in the Pot

This is a meaty post, so click away if you find meat in any way unappealing!

I'm warning you...


It was Phil's birthday yesterday, and my parents bought him a sight for the air rifle. We seem to have an unspoken policy involving gifts being handmade or "smallholding-centric." Though both kinds are great, the latter kind benefits all of us, so we all get to experience a bit of the excitement.

I didn't know that when you put a sight on a gun, it needs to be calibrated, so Phil did that this evening before going off to find us a rabbit for supper. It didn't take long, and he was soon back with the goods - one fine furry meal!


As he (the hunter) skinned and gutted it, I (the gatherer) went down to the vegetable garden and collected some broad beans and kale, stopping off outside our house for some tasty herbs (bay leaves, parsley and chives). Then I chopped up some chunky potatoes, carrots and parsnip, as well as the beans, kale and beetroot tops for the greens.


And now, at this very moment, I'm sitting at the kitchen table, listening to the sizzle of frying meat and onions, and feeling quite self-contained and excited about our (mostly) homegrown meal. I shall have to add a picture of the finished dish, if I remember (though I'm sure the most important thing on my mind will be tasting it, by then!)...

I was a vegetarian from the time I went to university until about four years ago, when I unexpectedly started fantasizing about roast chicken... I don't eat meat very often, but I remember explaining to someone that I was very careful that the meat I chose to eat was "quality" - ethically raised, from an animal which had enjoyed a free and healthy life. Somehow I described the animal as having to be either organic and free range, or roadkill - wild and free until the last moment. Now I can add "hunted by Phil" on the smallholding, which is as wild as you can get.

EDIT: Here's how the stew turned out: delicious! :D

4 comments:

  1. Stunned! That's what I am, stunned! There I am, reading this post, feeling very confused because I was certain I remembered you being vegetarian.

    Excellent though :) I love this post. What did you do with the bits of rabbit that you didn't eat?

    I tell you Emily, the more I read of your life right now, the more I want to pack it all in and buy a smallholding.

    Linda, x.

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  2. Well, Linda, you were right, I WAS a veggie at Uni! That partly came from being brought up on a farm, ha ha. Things change: you gotta follow your dreams, right?! And so should you: start looking! xxx

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  3. I'm going to :) Kev loves the idea too. I will have a little look tonight!

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  4. wow! i have to say i was the same as Linda, i was convinced you were veggie :S but your so lucky to be able to gurantee that your meat is fresh and treated well.....the best i can do is to not shop at Tesco anymore and rely more on my local butcher. What recipe did you use on the rabbit? or was it just herbs and the such? looks delish! lots of love Caroline xxx

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