2 T vegetable oil 1 medium-sized turnip, scraped and
A 4- to 4½-pound lean fresh beef coarsely chopped
brisket, trimmed of all excess fat, 1 medium-sized parsnip, scraped and
rolled and tied coarsely chopped
6 quarts cold water 1 small hot red dried chili, stemmed,
3 large onions, peeled and coarsely seeded and coarsely crumbled
chopped 1 large bay leaf
3 large garlic cloves, peeled and 2 or 3 fresh parsley sprigs,
coarsely chopped preferably the flat-leaf Italian
2 medium-sized carrots, scraped and variety
coarsely chopped, plus 6 medium- ½ tsp crumbled dried thyme
sized carrots, scraped and cut 6 whole allspice
lengthwise into quarters 10 whole black peppercorns
2 medium-sized firm ripe tomatoes, 1 T salt
peeled, seeded and coarsely A 1- to 1½-pound green cabbage,
chopped trimmed, cut lengthwise into 8
1 c coarsely chopped celery leaves wedges, and cored
16 small boiling potatoes, peeled
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In a heavy 12-inch skillet, heat the vegetable oil over moderate heat
until a light haze forms above it. Pat the brisket of beef completely dry
with paper towels and brown it in the hot oil. Turn the brisket frequently
with two large spoons and regulate the heat so that it colors deeply and
evenly on all sides without burning. Transfer the beef to a heavy 10- to
12-quart pot and pour the water over it. Bring to a boil over high heat and
skim off the foam and scum as they rise to the surface.Meanwhile, discard all but 2 T of the fat remaining in the skillet. Add the onions, garlic and chopped carrots and, stirring frequently, cook over moderate heat for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft and delicately browned. With a slotted spoon, transfer the vegetable mixture to the pot with the beef.
Stir in the tomatoes, celery leaves, turnip, parsnip, chili, bay leaf, parsley, thyme, allspice, peppercorns and salt, and return the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pot partially, and simmer for 2½ hours, or until the brisket is almost tender and shows only slight resistance when pierced deeply with the point of a small, sharp knife.
Transfer the brisket to a plate and set aside. Strain the stock through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth and set over a bowl. Discard the vegetables and seasonings, skim the fat from the stock, and taste for seasoning.
Wash the pot and return the brisket and stock to it. add the quartered carrots, cabbage and potatoes, and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook briskly, uncovered, for about 20 minutes, until the meat and vegetables are tender. Then transfer the meat to a cutting board, remove the strings and carve the brisket into ¼-inch-thick slices. Arrange the slices attractively on a heated platter, overlapping them slightly, and place the carrots, cabbage wedges and potatoes around them. Serve the meat and vegetables accompanied by cupfuls of the stock or, if you prefer, serve the meat, vegetables and stock together in heated soup plates. Serves 8.
4 slices bacon trimmed, wiped with a dampened
A 2½- to 3-pound rabbit, cloth and cut lengthwise, including
thoroughly defrosted if frozen, the stems, into ¼-inch-thick slices
and cut into 8 serving pieces 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
1 tsp salt 1 cup water
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 c flour ½ tsp dry mustard
4 T butter ½ tsp sugar
½ c finely chopped onions 1 T finely chopped fresh parsley,
¼ c finely chopped green pepper preferably the flat-leaf Italian
¼ pound firm fresh mushrooms, variety
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In a heavy 12-inch skillet, fry the bacon over moderate heat, turning the
slices frequently with tongs until they are crisp and brown and have rendered
all their fat. Transfer the bacon to paper towels to drain; crumble it into
small bits and reserve them.Pat the pieces of rabbit completely dry with paper towels and season them on all sides with the salt and black pepper. Roll one piece at a time in the flour to coat it lightly, and vigorously shake off the excess flour. Then brown the rabbit in the bacon fat remaining in the skillet, starting the pieces skin side down and turning them frequently with tongs. Regulate the heat so that the rabbit colors richly and evenly without burning. As they brown, transfer the pieces of rabbit to a plate.
Add the butter to the fat remaining in the skillet and melt it over moderate heat. When the foam begins to subside, drop in the onions, green pepper, mushrooms and garlic. Stirring frequently, cook for about 5 minutes, or until the vegetables are soft but not brown. Add the water, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and sugar, and bring to a boil over high heat, meanwhile scraping in the brown particles that cling to the bottom and sides of the skillet.
Return the rabbit and the liquid that has accumulated around it to the skillet and baste it well with the vegetable mixture. Reduce the heat to low and simmer, partially covered, for about 1 hour, or until the rabbit is tender and shows no resistance when pierced deeply with the point of a small , sharp knife. Taste for seasoning.
To serve, arrange the pot-roasted rabbit attractively on a deep heated platter and ladle the sauce and vegetables over it. Garnish the top with the reserved bacon bits and the parsley. Serves 4 to 6.
