On a more cheerful note, here on the island, where all is well and we got only a slightly higher tide following the Japan tsunami, there has been a lot of feasting. This invariably happens in the summer months as friends arrive to enjoy the peace and beauty of our bush and beaches, catch fish, and enjoy the simple pleasures of sharing fabulous food and wine, usually seated around a big table on the deck of a beach house overlooking the sea or bush. A few weeks ago – just before the Christchurch earthquake – a Chinese friend visited us with her mother and prepared an amazing and delicious nine course meal for the Chinese New Year – the Year of the Rabbit – for 12 of our friends. From mid-morning until our guests arrived about 7pm, she had us chopping and slicing, making dough and hundreds of dumplings, while she flew about adding strange spices and vegetables to various intriguing dishes, including, of course, a rabbit dish! The rabbit had been shot on our back lawn by my husband -- somewhat to my surprise – the previous day; I had been seriously sceptical about his marksmanship as he had to borrow an air rifle from a neighbour and in the 40 years I have known him he had never fired a rifle before! Apparently he had shot a few things as a lad in England. The rabbit and its family had been growing fat on our garden for some months, but after this the other bunnies disappeared for weeks. Unfortunately they are back again now, having decided the killing of their relative was beginner’s luck. After the Chinese feast our friend sent us the recipe for one of the dishes we’d particularly liked. She found it on the internet and translated it into her delightful English from the Chinese, adding her own embellishments. Here it is for your enchantment! (We think the word “octagon” refers to star anise.) This dish is mixed with tiger eggs, which is another story.
Braised meat practices:
1. buy back that lean and wild-pigs is (the) cascading fat was cut into 1cm square (thickness), but whatever aspect,
2. a pot of oil (more), in sugar (sugar) can also be a spoon (more), Fried to paste (this should be in take pot, smoke, don’t be afraid. Cut into thick slices meat and seasoning (the ginger, disc (not crush garlic), cinnamon, dry chilli, octagon, orange peel (cna), three minutes, then stir and fire into a deep red meat,
3. add salt, a spoon, vinegar, sugar, 1/5 spoon half spoon, mirrin two spoon, chicken broth, half spoon (cold) can also be covered meat 3 millimeter (you can add more, and put eggs at this time), boil it (start); fragrance risked
4. and small fire boil stew pan into one and a half hours, this should be a little soup and sticky (if the soup too much can collect soup, but to fire at), stood beside join green pepper (not very fat that bell peppers, can add parsley), then taste appetite, stewing 3 minutes.
Good luck!
Braised meat practices:
1. buy back that lean and wild-pigs is (the) cascading fat was cut into 1cm square (thickness), but whatever aspect,
2. a pot of oil (more), in sugar (sugar) can also be a spoon (more), Fried to paste (this should be in take pot, smoke, don’t be afraid. Cut into thick slices meat and seasoning (the ginger, disc (not crush garlic), cinnamon, dry chilli, octagon, orange peel (cna), three minutes, then stir and fire into a deep red meat,
3. add salt, a spoon, vinegar, sugar, 1/5 spoon half spoon, mirrin two spoon, chicken broth, half spoon (cold) can also be covered meat 3 millimeter (you can add more, and put eggs at this time), boil it (start); fragrance risked
4. and small fire boil stew pan into one and a half hours, this should be a little soup and sticky (if the soup too much can collect soup, but to fire at), stood beside join green pepper (not very fat that bell peppers, can add parsley), then taste appetite, stewing 3 minutes.
Good luck!