Hasenpfeffer... Gesuntite.....

"Hmmm...I say thar Brair Rabbit.......I wonder why I gets hungry everytime I play's with ya?"

Well Sir....fer all a ya that don't speak German...Hasenpfeffer is a German Rabbit stew...and its very very tasty by the way...

...and Gesuntite means "God Bless Ya".....you make the connection....

Now Sir...if'n y'all like a very good rabbit stew...and some folks...specially hunters...still do...here's a couple a German Hasenpfeffer recipe's fer ya....

Now Sir...these recipe's ain't my own...but they be so damn close to the same ingredients, quantities and cookin process's as mine that maybe they was a takin frum me t'begin with.....anyways...I'm gonna put them inta the post just so's I don't have to re-type everything twice...I'm lazy that way. This first one is frum epicurean.com and the second one is frum an anonymous chef.....I think you'll enjoy both of the them....

GERMAN HASENPFEFFER:

Ingredients:

4 lb Rabbit

1 1/2 cups Dry red wine

3/4 cup Cider vinegar

2 ts Salt; optional

1 ts Freshly ground black pepper

1 Bay leaf

1/2 cup Onions; chopped

1 tbs Mixed pickling spice

1/2 cup Flour

4 tbs Butter

1 cup Onions; thinly sliced

2 tbs Sugar

1/2 cup Sour cream

1/2 lb of mushrooms...cleaned and halved

Directions:

Cut rabbit in serving-sized pieces. Wash, scrape, and soak in salted cold water for 1 hour. Drain and dry.

In a glass or pottery bowl mix together the wine, vinegar, salt, pepper, bay leaf, chopped onions, halved mushrooms and pickling spice. Add the rabbit and let marinate in the refirgerator for 3 days. Turn the pieces occasinally.

Drain the rabbit; strain and reserve the marinade.

Dry the rabbit with paper towels and roll in flour.

Melt butter in a Dutch oven (Cast Iron if'n ya got one) or deep heavy skillet; brown the rabbit and sliced onions in it.

Pour off fat and add sugar and 1-1/2 to 2 cups marinade. Cover and cook over low heat 1-1/2 hours or until rabbit is tender.

Turn the pieces occasionally and add more marinade if needed. Taste for seasoning. Mix the sour cream into the gravy just before serving.

Hasenpfeffer - German Rabbit Stew (Simplified)

2 1/2 pounds rabbit (up to 3 lb) -- cut up

2 cups dry red wine

2 tablespoons wine vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon salt

1 teaspoon whole cloves

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 bay leaves

Place cut-up rabbit in flat refrigerator container.

In bowl, combine remaining ingredients; Pour over rabbit.

Marinate one to two nights in the refrigerator.

Place marinated rabbit in Crock-Pot. Add 1 1/2 cups marinade. cover and cook on Low for 8 to 10 hours.

Remove meat to warm platter. Thicken gravy, if desired. Serves 4

Well Sir...there y'all go...so if'n ya likes rabbit....enjoy yur meal naybor......Cookie....