Category: Rabbit

Talking (Wisconsin) Squirrel and Rabbit

And these two (or creatures similar to them) ended up in a giant cast-iron skillet).

And these two (or creatures similar to them) ended up in a giant cast-iron skillet in Wisconsin.

On Labor Day I spent some time with my friend Mike Pitzen and his family – Krista and Holt – here in Houston. We smoked some briskets and grilled some corn and a skirt steak I had marinated overnight. I made a Bloody Mary or two and we sat outside by the wood and charcoal and talked about food and cooking and family. I had seen a squirrel in the backyard, and suggested that we could use Holt’s toy bow and arrow to shoot it, after which we could grill it. (Holt is a 7-year-old vegetarian, having decided to pursue that route after viewing Charlotte’s Web.) The precocious young man promptly relieved me of the weapon and took it inside.

My plan, however, had aroused a memory from Mike’s culinary past, of a dish his mother cooked whenever a number of rabbits and squirrel had been shot at their Wisconsin home. Mike would skin and gut them, and his mother would portion the animals and brine them overnight in a solution of buttermilk and salt and pepper. The next day she’d cook them in oil or lard in one of her many cast-iron skillets (many of which Mike has today), adding yellow onion slices and apple pieces near the end of the process. A lid would then be placed on the skillet and the steam and heat would turn the meat and the fruit and vegetables into a savory dinner.

They are cute, and they taste good.

They are cute, and they taste good.

They have been known to attack ...

They have been known to attack …

Holt had by then returned to our company, fresh from hiding his bow and arrow, so we finished our cooking recollection and turned to politics. That conversation was much less appetizing, and it nourished us not at all.

On a Labor Day grill in Houston.

On a Labor Day grill in Houston.

 

Plates of the day: A Gem Named Giacomo’s

There are a few restaurants in Houston to which I return again and again, because they are serving food that is good, and honest, and selling it at prices that are fair. One is named Giacomo’s, and it is owned by Lynette Hawkins, who has been in the business a long time and knows what she is doing.

I had lunch at Giacomo’s today with a friend who had never been there, and I knew that he would love the Swiss chard ravioli; it is one of my favorite dishes in Houston, and reminds me of the malfatti (also with Swiss chard and ricotta) served at Al Di La. (I ate those malfatti on a weekly basis at that little place in Park Slope, followed by rabbit and polenta.)

Today I ordered something I had never had at Giacomo’s: mozzarella in carrozza. The menu describes them as “little fried mozzarella sandwiches, anchovy caper sauce.” Two small sandwiches come in a bowl, the bread caressed by a delicate and very authentic sauce, a sauce so good that I would surely have no problem drinking a cup of it. The bread is slightly crisp, and though I wish it and the cheese had been a bit warmer, I can’t wait to introduce these things to Angela.

These little things and their anchovy-caper sauce are now at the top of my Houston food list.

These little things and their anchovy-caper sauce are now at the top of my Houston food list.

If you like cheese, anchovies, capers and crisp bread, order this.

If you like cheese, anchovies, capers and crisp bread, order this.

I convinced Jack to try the tortelli di bietola (ravioli stuffed with Swiss chard, ricotta, goat cheese, sage butter sauce). Again, this is one of my favorite dishes in Houston; I have eaten a lot of pasta around the world, and this plate at Giacomo’s stands up to the best of them. Paper-thin ravioli filled with a mixture of cheeses and chard, nestled on a plate in a rich sauce. It is perfection, simplicity at its best. Jack concurred.

My favorite pasta dish in Houston.

My favorite pasta dish in Houston.

While Jack was discovering Hawkins’ ravioli, I began eating my gnocchi. I have had this dish before at Giacomo’s, and this time it seemed especially good, mainly because the mushrooms possessed a pronounced funky, earthy flavor, something missing during a previous visit. The sauce – cream and gorgonzola – is always wonderful, not too thick, not too thin, and the potato gnocchi are obviously made and cooked by someone who understands the process.

Gnocchi di funghi at Giacomo's is rich, decadent and earthy, full of funky cremini mushrooms.

Gnocchi di funghi at Giacomo’s is rich, decadent and earthy, full of funky cremini mushrooms.

Giacomo’s is a gem, really. No pretension, congenial and adept staff, and an owner who knows her stuff. Plus, they sell wine by the quartino and have a good and value-priced list. Haven’t been? Correct that oversight soon.

There’s Some Great (Vietnamese) Rabbit in Pearland, Texas

Pearland is a small place in south Texas, situated off of 45 South 30 miles or so from Galveston. If you find yourself near there, schedule some time for Thanh Phuong and order the TP Special Rolls (Nem Nướng Cuốn) and the deep-fried rabbit.

The rolls are full of grilled pork – and it is crisp and rich and deep in flavor – and mint and a few other vegetables, but the pork stars.

And the rabbit. Several years ago while in Florence I happened across a restaurant and delighted in a perfect plate of rabbit, and since then have looked for another example. I found it in Pearland.

The rabbit at Thanh Phuong reminded me of a dish I loved in Florence several years ago.

The rabbit at Thanh Phuong reminded me of a dish I loved in Florence several years ago. 

The pieces of rabbit were dipped in a light, slightly sweet batter, a batter that included sesame seeds. It was fried along with garlic and a few pieces of ginger, whose taste was barely noticeable but proper, and plated with onions and peppers and a very pleasant acidic sauce.
Angela and I are already planning a return trip.

© 2024 Mise en Place

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑