Recipe: Conill amb bolets
When the temperatures drop and the leaves turn golden, the colder weather can make you crave richer food instead of the summer salads and gazpatxo you’ve enjoyed in the last few months.
Stews and hearty soups are perfect for these autumnal days and it is also the time for mushroom hunting in Catalunya. A huge variety of bolets (wild mushrooms) grow in the region, especially around the self-titled capital of bolets, Berga. Although they are available at local markets throughout the season, many people prefer to head to the hills and trek through forests to find the prized funghi. The most common variety is the orange rovellón, but there are also rossinyols, pinetells, esclatasangs and picornells to look out for. Beware though of the scary-sounding trompeta de la mort (trumpet of death) and pie de rata reina (rat queen’s foot), just two of the known toxic varieties that grow in the area, which number around 100. A common and delicious way to eat your finds is simply grilled with garlic and parsley. But if you are looking for something a bit more nourishing and filling then the recipe below, rabbit with wild mushrooms, is a good way to enjoy this seasonal treasure.
Ingredients
- 1 rabbit of approx 1.5 kg cut into 8 pieces
- 50 ml olive oil
- 10 g garlic, chopped
- 50 g anchovies in olive oil
- 1 tablespoon capers
- 250 ml meat stock (hot)
- salt and pepper
For the marinade:
- 200 g or 1 large onion
- 2 laurel leaves
- juice of one lemon
- teaspoon of salt
- pinch of black pepper
For the mushrooms:
For the picada (thickener)
- rabbit liver
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 10 g garlic
- 20 ml or tablespoonful white wine
- 4 crushed almonds/almond paste or 20g biscuits
Ask your butcher to divide a whole rabbit in eight; you also want the rabbit liver (fetge). Marinade the meat (not the liver) one day before cooking. To make the marinade, peel and chop the onion, then put in a bowl with the pepper, salt, laurel, lemon juice and rabbit pieces. Cover and leave overnight.
The next day, season the marinated rabbit pieces and heat the oil in a casserole. Add the garlic and rabbit then fry for five minutes. Turn down the heat and add the anchovies, capers and most of the stock. Cover the dish and leave on a low heat for an hour. Keep an eye on it—if it gets too dry, add more stock. Meanwhile, fry the rovellóns with the garlic and parsley over a high heat for five minutes then add to the casserole. Make the picada by frying the rabbit liver with olive oil, then use a mortar and pestle to crush the liver, garlic, white wine and almonds. Add to the casserole, let it simmer gently for five minutes, then serve.