Portuguese Rabbit Feijoada

Portuguese white bean stew with braised rabbit

Feijoada is a popular dish in both Portugal and Brazil, though the Brazilian version features black beans. When we were living in Cabo Espichel, a neighbor, who knew I was experimenting with Portuguese cooking, gave me a stack of cooking magazines written, of course, in Portuguese. They were a wealth of information about Portuguese home cooking as well as great language practice. I was searching for a recipe with rabbit because in Portugal rabbit is commonly found in butcher shops and good rabbit not only tastes wonderful but (for me) has a romantically rustic appeal. I found a rabbit feijoada recipe in one of those magazines and prepared it for our guests; we had 6 visitors for a whole month. It was perfect. Unfortunately, I’ve lost the original recipe. Since returning home and finally coming up with a local source for rabbit (thanks Michael), I have been preparing different versions of this dish, depending on what I have on hand, trying to recapture the magic of that rustic dish shared with friends and family in Portugal. I’m getting close.

Ingredients:

· 1 lb white beans

· Olive oil

· 1 rabbit, cut into 8 pieces

· 2 T. red chili powder

· 1 lb uncooked linguiça, chorizo, or other flavorful sausage

· 1 large onion, diced

· 1 ham hock

· 1 T. ground coriander

· 2 bay leaves

· Pork broth (the amount will vary depending on the size of your container, but count on at least 6 cups)

· 12 cloves garlic, peeled and whole

· 1 c. diced tomatoes

· 4 large carrots, sliced thick

· Salt

· Black pepper

Directions:

1. Cover the beans with water and soak overnight; change the soaking water several times.

2. Preheat oven to 325°.

3. Heat 4 T. oil in large Dutch oven over medium-high heat and brown the rabbit pieces on all sides. Remove rabbit and lower heat to medium.

4. Add sausage and cook until brown (about 6 minutes).

5. Add onion and chile powder and cook until the onion is beginning to soften (about 3 minutes).

6. Add coriander, bay leaves, beans, and ham hock; add the broth until the beans are just covered. Bring to a boil.

7. Place rabbit pieces on top. Cover and transfer to the oven.

8. Cook for about 90 minutes, until the beans are beginning to soften.

9. When the beans are just beginning to get soft, add the garlic, carrots, and tomatoes.

10. Cook for 30-45 minutes more, until the carrots and garlic are just getting soft and the beans are tender.

11. Add salt and pepper to taste.

12. Place in large shallow bowls, with the rabbit pieces placed on top of the stew. Serve with white rice or a rustic loaf of bread.

***This dish is traditionally cooked in a clay pot, so use one if you have one***