1 whole rabbit (prefer before 16 weeks old)
1 can of dark or light beer (or sub 12 oz. salted water if you don't like beer, but I promise it tastes so good!)
2 Tb. salt

• put a rack inside your instapot (so the rabbit is not on the "floor" of the pot)
• pour 1 can of beer over the rabbit - I like dark not bitter beers like Black Butte Porter, but its also really good with a light ale (I do stay away from IPA's personally, the hops can get bitter!) 
• dust rabbit with 1 Tb. of salt on each side
• put on lid and set for 40 minutes 
• cook - and let pressure release naturally. (so total time in the instapot should be 1 hour+)
  
• when pressure is gone, gently open the Instapot, remove rabbit to a plate and let cool 20m.+
  
• when cook enough to handle easily, pull meat off bones. I put bones back into the pot and cook again until soft to make dog food (TBA - next recipe post!)
• this meat will be "lightly" flavored, and is excellent used just like shredded chicken in your favorite recipes: "chicken salad", BBQ pulled rabbit sandwich, or sauteed with your favorite tex-mex seasoning blend, onions and peppers for tacos or nachos. 
• Rabbit can be cooked the morning or night before you plan to serve and just chill the rabbit meat until ready to use. 

TURKEY POT PIE  (makes two 9 inch pies)

2 double pie crusts (pre-made or your favorite recipe!)
2 Qt. diced turkey
12 oz. frozen carrots & peas (this is to make this recipe easy after a week of busy thanksgiving cooking, but you can easily chop fresh carrots and celery if preferred!)
1 large onion, diced small
6 Tb. butter
1/2 C. flour
1 1/2 C. turkey broth
2 C milk 
1 small egg 

• roll out pie crusts and place into two 9" pie pans
• mix together carrots, peas and turkey and divide between the two pies
• sauté the onion in the butter until translucent
• add flour and stir until all absorbed (will be dry)
• stir in turkey broth and stir until thick
• stir in milk and keep stirring until simmering and uniform.
• mixture should still be thick but not globby. if too thick add up to a 1/2 C. more milk.
• turn off heat and let cool 1 minute but not until cool.
• pour equally over each pie and use a spatula to distribute
• roll out top pie crusts and place on top of each
• seal and flute edges
• whisk up egg with a Tablespoon of water and brush each pie with it

TO BAKE: preheat oven to 375* put pot pie in oven and bake 1  hour. remove from heat and cool a few  minutes before cutting.
TO FREEZE: I like to place a piece of parchment over the top of pie to protect it, then wrap tightly in saran wrap. freeze.
​TO BAKE FROM FROZEN: preheat oven to 375* remove saran wrap/parchment, and put frozen pot pie in oven. set timer for 1 hour, but may need an extra 15-30 minutes. 

TURKEY ENCHILADAS (makes TWO 9x13 casserole dishes - one for dinner and one to freeze for a rainy day)
2 Qt. leftover turkey meat, shredded or cubed
2 C. green or red tomatillo enchilada sauce
3 C. cheese 
12 medium tortillas (we like the corn-flour blend best but you can use 8 large flour tortillas instead if desired)
sour cream béchamel (below)

FOR RED ENCHILADAS: Pour 1/2 C. red enchilada sauce into the bottom of each casserole. Mix turkey meat with the béchamel and 1 C. cheese. Fill each tortilla with 1/2 C. meat mix and roll up, place into casserole dishes. when dishes are full, top enchiladas with remaining red sauce and top with cheese
FOR GREEN ENCHILADAS: Pour 1/2 C. béchamel sauce into the bottom of each casserole dish. Mix turkey meat with the green enchilada sauce and 1 C. cheese. Fill each tortilla with 1/2 C. meat mix and roll up, place into casserole dishes. when dishes are full, top enchiladas with remaining béchamel sauce and top with cheese
TO BAKE FROM FRESH: preheat over to 350* and bake for about 45 minutes until cheese is bubbly. 
TO FREEZE FOR LATER: cover tightly with a piece of tin foil (spray lightly with pan spray to prevent it from sticking to cheese) then wrap in a layer of saran wrap tightly. label and freeze.
TO BAKE FROM FROZEN: preheat oven to 350* pull casserole out of freezer, remove saran wrap (leave foil) and place into oven for 1 hour. remove tin foil and cook 20 more minutes until cheese is bubbly and internal temp is 140*+

for the sour cream béchamel:
1/2 C. turkey fat (I use the fat from making broth with the turkey carcass, but you can use a stick of butter too)
1/2 C. all purpose flour
1 C. sour cream 
2 C. turkey stock 
salt and pepper to taste

• heat turkey fat or butter
• add flour to make a roux, whisk until smooth and cook 1 minute over medium
• whisk in sour cream and then turkey stock 
• stir over medium high heat until thickened and simmering
• remove from heat and add 1 tsp+ salt and a grind of pepper until it tastes great

​

1 Lb. ground pork sausage (we like a spicy Italian mix)
4 ea. Quail 
2 tsp. salt
1 Tb. pepper or favorite seasoning 
2 Tb. olive oil

• Any oven safe pan will do, but we really like cooking quail in cast iron, both for the flavor and how it cooks. oil pan with 1 Tb. of the olive oil.
• Preheat oven to 375*
• Divide sausage up into oval patties, and place into pan equally distanced
• Using kitchen scissors, cut along each side of the back bone of the quail from neck to rear to remove the spine. 
• Rub remaining oil on quail skin, and sprinkle with salt & desired seasoning
• Place each quail body over a sausage mound, tucking legs toward the center
• Place dish into the oven and roast for 25-35 minutes until quail and sausage both register at 155* internal temp. remove from oven and let rest (it will keep cooking up to 165*)
• Serve with your favorite side dishes... it was amazing with roasted spaghetti squash ;)

2 dozen hard boiled and peeled quail eggs (makes 1 pint jar)
3/4 C. vinegar (we like equal parts white wine and apple cider)
1 tsp. pickling spice (minced onion, dill, mustard seeds)
1 tsp. kosher salt
optional additions: cajun seasoning, spicy chiles (fresh or dried), yellow mustard (my favorite)

• bring vinegar, salt and spices to a boil
• meanwhile pack eggs into a clean and sterile jar
• pour boiling liquid over eggs and top with a clean lid and band
• cool on the counter for an hour+
• place these in the fridge and they will be good for several weeks!

 4-8 skinless quail (in this recipe, I use 2 per person, although usually one is enough, but I want the leftovers!!)
2 Tb. olive oil or butter
1 white onion, diced 
kosher salt
a pinch each of cayenne and nutmeg
2-3 Tb all purpose flour
12 oz. broth (I used turkey)
4 oz. heavy cream

• ​sprinkle quail liberally with salt on all sides
• place quail in a roaster or dutch oven with onions and olive oil and spices over medium high heat (375*)
• add lid and "bake" for 30 minutes until quail is cooked through and onions have caramelized
• remove quail to a side plate
• in roaster, add flour and stir until it soaks up all the oil
• pour in cold broth and cream, stir well until it comes to a simmer and thickens (simmer at least 1 minute)
• at this point, I pureed the gravy with an immersion blender, it is optional but makes a velvety and delicious sauce
• place quail back in to the pan with the sauce and cover
• cook for another 30+ minutes 
• meanwhile prepare your sides (we ate it with basmati rice & vegetables- see additional recipe below for the leftovers)

LEFTOVER QUAIL "Rice-Not-Roni" 

leftover quail, remove meat from bones 
leftover rice
leftover gravy from recipe above

• stir together leftover gravy with rice and any remaining quail meat
• refrigerate or freeze for later
• reheat and enjoy these especially comforting leftovers  :) 

PAN GRILLED QUAIL 
So easy and so delicious! It's my new favorite 20 minute weeknight recipe :) 

I use a weighted cast iron grill pan, that I preheat well over medium low heat to simulate a grill, but you could just as easily grill these too or even put them in a plain old cast iron pan, but I do recommend weighting them with a bacon weight (or a clean brick if that's what you have)

I season the quail with my favorite multipurpose rub (premix, makes enough for several meals):
1 Tb. sea salt
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. sweet paprika
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. dried oregano 

​I really like to sprinkle the quail with a little bit of white vinegar, this step is optional but I really like the flavor and it helps the seasoning stick to the birds better. Just don't let it sit on the quail (have you ever made ceviche? same concept) 

Place the birds side down in the hot pan and place the weight on top. Pan should be hot enough to be sizzling, but still on medium low heat. let cook for about 8-10 minutes. remove weight and turn birds to the other side. you should have a nice grill marks and caramelized skin. place weight back on top and cook for about 8-10 minutes on second side. when time is up, turn off heat. I like to leave the weight in place but let it sit for about 5 minutes to "rest" so that when you serve them they are juicier. 

shown in picture with a simple saute of kale, onions, bell peppers and cherry tomatoes with goat cheese (and fresh baked bread, not shown)

Thanks to one of our repeat customers for sharing this picture! This is what her 90# half pig share looked like (she chose ham, bratwurst, bacon, and pork chops) 

1 Rabbit, quartered
1 onion, diced
​1 c. rabbit broth (or chicken broth)
a mild oil such as canola or vegetable
1/2 c. sliced almonds
2 c. green beans, whole or chopped
3 Tb. butter
1/4 c. all purpose flour
2 Tb. heavy cream
basmati rice to serve

in a saute pan, over medium heat, gently cook almonds while stirring frequently until they are fragrant and starting to color at the edges. pour them out onto a side plate and keep pan over medium heat. season (salt and pepper) and brown rabbit quarters. remove pan from heat and place rabbit quarters into pressure cooker with diced onion and broth. cook for 35 minutes at 10 lbs.

While it is cooking, start rice and get saute pan hot again, searing green beans with salt and a touch of oil. turn heat off and let beans rest.

When rabbit is done, remove from cooker and let cool until able to handle. meanwhile, pour beans out into serving dish and heat pan a final time, this time add butter and melt. when all melted add flour and whisk. when roux is bubbly, pour in the cream and whisk again. add 1 c. of broth from the pressure cooker and whisk until gravy is smooth and simmering before turning off heat.

to finish, seperate meat from rabbit bones, putting meat with beans, gravy, almonds and rice into serving dishes. cheers!

The days are longer, and there are chicks every where. Our broilers are flying off the shelf and new baby pigs are on the way. The Silver Fox rabbits are chillin in the sun. The quail are almost to egg laying age. And we are going to start filling our thanksgiving turkey harvesting class there are only 5 slots, that will fill fast! To top it all off, it's the first day of spring and they are talking about snow forecasts! Ugh... Anyways the sun is breaking, chickens are crowing and I'm off to do morning chores.