English Country House Cooking

Fortune Stanley came into possession of two lovely collections of recipes. One came from the cook to several stately homes and the other from her family, specifically and aunt who had actually lived in a stately home.

Mrs. Isabelle Menzies was the daughter of the head forester who worked on the estates of the late Duke of Montrose. She was encouraged to take up cookery and grew quite good at her task. Mrs. Guy Bearing was Fortune Stanely’s aunt who collected and edited the family’s recipes.

Armed with these recipes, Stanly set out to a book, which was titled, English Country House Cooking. The book was a way to gather recipes from the grand days of Country House living and bring them to the home cook who probably didn’t need to cook for 20 or 30.

Mrs. Menzies had been in the employ of Mrs. Ronnie Greville, who loved fine food. When she ate at grand establishments such as the Ritz and found a dish she especially liked, she would arrange for Mrs. Menzies to learn the way it was prepared. This exposed Mrs. Menzies to a wide range of cooking styles that was unusual for someone in her position. Eventually Mrs. Menzies came to work for Fortune Stanley’s family and she began teaching the 9 year-old to cook.

Drawing on this wealth of cooking expertise, Stanley gathered a diverse cookbook. One can see these recipes laid out on grand dinning tables and with the help of this cookbook, on your dining table.

Poacher’s Rabbit

1 rabbit
flour
2-3 onions
1/4 pound mushrooms
tarragon vinegar
1/2 pint stock
2-3 potatoes
4 rasher bacon

Cut the rabbit into serving pieces and soak in salted water overnight; dry the pieces and roll in seasoned flour. Make layers in a buttered casserole: rabbit, chopped onion and mushrooms, rabbit, more onions and mushrooms and finely a layer of thinly sliced potatoes. Sprinkle with about 4 teaspoonful of tarragon vinegar and a good 1/2 pint stock; finish with the bacon rashers. Cover and cook in a moderate oven for about 2 hours; about 20 minutes before the end, remover the cover and allow the rashers to brown.

Next time you are in a grocery store, see if you can poach yourself a rabbit and give this a try.

Foie Gras, Magret, and Other Good Food From Gascony

Foie Gras, Magret, and Other Good Food From Gascony quite literally highlights the main ingredients of Gascone cooking, foie gras and duck. According to Paula Wolfert, Daquin is "The Gascon chef of France".

Gascony is an area in southwestern France between the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, sort of... According to Andre Daguin, "The boarders of Gascony are elastic." It's a southern thing, like a Southerner defining the south. There is an old joke about the mother whose son gets into Vanderbilt. Her friend touches her shoulder and says, "Couldn't he get into a Southern school?" Even parts of Maryland are below the Mason/Dixon Line, but hardly Southern! To the man from Gascony, Paris is part of he Gascon, but only if he needs it.

While duck may be the ultimate dish of Gascony, this is a great preparation for rabbit.

Lapin au vin Vinaigre

1 small rabbit, about 3 pounds
Crushed white pepper to taste
Salt to taste
1 tablespoons herbs de Provence
6 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 onion, minced
2/3 cup dry red wine
1/3 cup red wine vinegar
3/4 cup heavy cream

Have a butcher cut the rabbit into eight serving pieces: two shoulders, two back legs, and four loins. Place the pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with the crushed white pepper, a little salt and the herbs de Provence. Rub 3 tablespoons of the oil all over the rabbit and marinate for 2 hours.

Heat the remaining oil in a large saute pan over a high flame. Add the rabbit pieces: first the legs, then 2 minutes later the shoulders, and 2 minutes the loins. Stir in the onions and saute until the meat is golden brown, about 8 minutes. Cover, lower the heat to medium, and cook for 10 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the loins or they will be dry. Remove from the pan and keep warm.

Degrease the pan, then deglaze it with the wine and vinegar. Reduce until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add the cream and reduce by a third. Season with salt. Return the meat to the pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes to warm the pieces. Serve immediately with buttered noodles.

Cook this rabbit and you soul will be floating in the spirit of Gascony no matter where you may physically reside.