Provençal rabbit accompanied by Laneway Chardonnay
serves 4 (ish)

Ingredients:

Fresh farmed or wild rabbit quartered
Bunnyconnellen ‘Celebration’ extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
3 large garlic cloves crushed
1 tbs plain flour
1 onion, halved and sliced
3 small carrots sliced
2 leafy celery branches sliced
handful of fresh thyme leaves or 1 1/2 tsp dried thyme
1 small sprig rosemary or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary
2 x 4cm pieces of dried orange peel
Good shake of nutmeg to taste
1 tsp crushed black pepper
Serious glug of Bunnyconnellen ‘Wash-house’ Shiraz
4 tbs red wine vinegar
2 ltrs chicken broth
Chopped parsley for garnish

Method:

This recipe is the business.  Good glug of the evoo into a large skillet (a Le Crouset stock pot is the go) and cook the garlic cloves until golden.   Brown the rabbit pieces quickly on all sides.  Push the rabbit to one side of the skillet and stir in the flour and cook over low heat, stirring, for 2-3 minutes.  Add extra evoo if required.  Add the carrots, onion, and celery.  Stir in the herbs, pepper, and orange strips.  Remove from heat.  Add the red wine and return to the heat, bringing to a gentle boil ensuring flour roux does not go lumpy.  Add the vinegar.  Add the vegetable stock and herbs to cover.  Bring to a boil, then cover partly and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. 

Place in oven and bake for 1 hour at a low 160°C degrees.  (Check the rabbit after 40 minutes.  It should be very tender but still juicy.  Be careful not to overcook as the delicate flesh easily becomes dry.)  Scatter with parsley.

Hot Tips:
Serve with:  Potato gnocchi mixed with a bit of butter, grated Parmesan cheese and garlic bread to mop up!

Wine selection

Complements our Bunnyconnellen ‘Laneway’ Chardonnay.

 

 

 

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Secret men’s business (or how to surprise your woman) - corned beef accompanied by Bird in Bush’ Cabernet Rosé

Authors note: This recipe was created to provide our two sons, Tobias and Barnabas with a means of cooking a simple dish to impress their respective women friends thereby offering a sporting chance of some romantic success having burdened them with such dated and old fashioned names!

serves 4 jackaroos (maybe)

Ingredients:

2 kgs Silverside corned beef
4 cloves
1 tbs golden syrup
1 tbs brown sugar
1 tbs white wine vinegar
Whole Peppercorns - several
2 fresh Bay leaves
8 small potatoes – skin on and washed
Bunnyconnellen ‘Tournament’ Tapenade
5 carrots, peeled and sliced lengthways into 2cm strips
Honey
1 large head cabbage, quartered and sliced thickly
Bunnyconnellen ‘Contemplation’ extra virgin olive oil (evoo) infused with lemon myrtle
Bunnyconnellen ‘Janie’s Bush Mustard’

Method:

Place corned beef in large pot with cold water.  Add cloves, whole black peppercorns, vinegar, bay leaves, brown sugar and golden syrup.  Place lid on pot.  Bring to the boil, you will need to be patient, reduce to a simmer so the meat cooks gently. Simmer approximately 1 hour per kg or until tender.
30 minutes prior to meat being done, add whole potatoes and carrots, and cook until the vegetables are almost tender.
10 minutes prior to meat being done, place sliced cabbage in a very small amount of water in separate saucepan.  Cook gently until tender.
0 minutes to go, remove meat and separate vegetables.  Leave meat in pot to rest.
Place carrots in a bowl and drizzle with smidgen of honey then cover to retain warmth.
Slice side off potato and scoop out small amount of potato and place in fridge (mash tomorrow!)  Replace with equal amount of ‘Tournament Tapenade’.  Replace potato slice as lid.
Strain cabbage, place in serving dish and drizzle with Bunnyconnellen ‘Contemplation’ extra virgin olive oil (evoo) infused with lemon myrtle.
Serve Bunnyconnellen ‘Janie’s Bush Mustard’ on side to dab with the meat.  Del ish!

Hot tips:
Serve:  Corned beef stacked on cabbage with carrots to side and balanced by potato.  Cracked pepper to taste.
Slice meat across the grain.
If any meat is left over, treat yourself to a corned beef and Janie’s Bush Mustard sandwich with a billy of tea for lunch the next day!

Watch with mounting smugness as your girlfriend is over come with emotion at your gastronomic skills! If you foul it up buy roses the next day to try and recover your position. Good luck.

Wine selection

Complements our Bunnyconnellen ‘Bird in Bush’ Cabernet Rosé.

 

 

 

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Wash-House Shiraz
Rack of lamb served with courgettes and Cous Cous
serves 2

Ingredients:

2 large racks of lamb (3 bones each portion)
Bunnyconnellen ‘Celebration’ extra virgin olive oil (evoo)
sprig thyme
sprig parsley
3 sprigs rosemary
2 crushed garlic cloves
Bunnyconnellen ‘Tournament Tapenade’
4 large courgettes cut into 7cm length batons
300g cherry tomatoes
sprig basil
100g thinly slithered Parmesan style cheese
a dash  balsamic vinegar
seasalt
freshly cracked pepper
Cous Cous – as required and cooked to packet instructions
Bunnyconnellen ‘Contemplation’ extra virgin olive oil (evoo) infused with lemon myrtle

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200˚C
Mix fresh herbs, garlic and evoo together in bowl.  Massage well into lamb. Season  lamb with salt and freshly cracked pepper.  Bake in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes.
Remove the lamb from the oven and brush meat liberally with ‘Tournament Tapenade’
Allow to rest and before serving simply return the lamb to the oven for a further 2-3 minutes.
For the vegetables, sauté the courgettes  in evoo, add the tomatoes and basil and allow to cook until the vegetables have just begun to soften; season with a dash of  vinegar, salt and pepper.  Top with slithers of Parmesan before serving.
Slice the lamb into 3 chops per person, serve with the courgette and tomato blend.

Hot Tips:
Serve with:  Cous Cous drizzled with Bunnyconnellen ‘Contemplation’ extra virgin olive oil (evoo) infused with lemon myrtle.

Wine selection

Complements our Bunnyconnellen ‘Wash House’ Shiraz.

 

 

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Annette Waldon’s Recipe for
Beef Wellington using Bunnyconnellen ‘Pétanque’ Smoked Olive Tapenade

Ingredients:

4 slices eye fillet
200g butter
400g mushrooms, sliced
4 tablespoons port
1 jar Bunnyconnellen ‘Pétanque’ Smoked Tapenade
4 sheets puff pastry

Method:

Melt butter in pan, lightly sprinkle steaks with freshly ground black pepper and place in pan with garlic and fry steaks to your liking.
Remove steaks from pan when done.
Add the mushrooms to the pan, season and cook until soft.
Add the port and simmer until the liquid has reduced by half.  Remove pan from heat.
Place a steak in the centre of a pastry sheet and spread the steak generously with the tapenade.  Place mushrooms on top and spoon over some of the sauce.
Fold over the pastry, moisten the edges and seal firmly with the fold on top so that juices do not run out. Do the same with remaining steaks.
Decorate the packages with left over pastry.  Chill for at least 30 minutes.
Place on baking tray, glaze with milk and cook at 200C for approximately 30 minutes or until pastry is golden.

Serves 4 people.

Well done Annette, this is the business and works well with fresh green French beans, bit of salt and splash of evoo.

Wine selection

Complements our Bunnyconnellen ‘Wash House’ Shiraz.

 

 

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Warm Casarecci Pasta and Sweet Potato Salad

Ingredients:

750g orange sweet potato
2 tablespoons Bunnyconnellen Extra Virgin Olive Oil
500g Casarecci pasta (or your favourite pasta)
325g feta cheese marinated in Bunnyconnellen Siesta and olive oil
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
155g (1 bunch) asparagus, cut into short lengths
100g baby rocket (arugula) or baby English spinach leaves
2 vine-ripened tomatoes, chopped
1 tablespoon Bunnyconnellen Siesta Olives
40g (1/4 cup) pine nuts, toasted

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200˚ C (400˚F/Gas 6).
Drain the Bunnyconnellen Siesta olives from the jar and marinade the feta in the remaining oil. Eat a few olives for sustenance.
Peel the sweet potato and cut into large pieces. Place in a baking dish, drizzle with the Bunnyconnellen EVOO  and season generously  with salt and pepper.  Bake for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potato is tender.
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling water until al dente. Drain well.
Cook the pasta in a large saucepan of rapidly boiling water until al dente. Drain well.
Drain the Bunnyconnellen Siesta oil from the feta and whisk 3 tablespoons of the oil together with the balsamic vinegar to make a dressing. Eat some more olives for sustenance.

Steam the asparagus until bright green and tender.  Drain well.

Combine the pasta, sweet potato, asparagus, rocket, feta, tomatoes, Siesta olives and pine nuts in a bowl.  Add the dressing and toss gently.  Season with black pepper and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Wine Selection
Complements our Bunnyconnellen ‘Bird in Bush’ Cabernet Rosé.