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Rabbit And Rice Casserole With Egg Crust
(Arroz Con Costra)
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| What You Need: |
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½ cup dried chick-peas (garbanzos)
2 quarts water
A 2- to 2½-pound rabbit, thoroughly defrosted if frozen, cut into 8 serving pieces
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
1 cup finely chopped onions
1 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 small bay leaf
3 "chorizos", or substitute ½ pound other garlic-seasoned smoked pork sausage
1 cup raw medium or long-grain regular-milled rice or imported short-grain rice
4 eggs, lightly beaten
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| How To Cook: |
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1. Starting a day ahead, wash the chick-peas in a sieve under cold running water. Then place them in a bowl or pan and add enough water to cover them by 2 inches. Soak at room temperature for at least 12 hours.
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2. Drain the chick-peas in a sieve or colander and place them in a heavy 3-to 4-quart casserole. Add 2 quarts of fresh water. Bring to a boil over high heat; reduce the heat to low, and simmer partially covered for 1hour.
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3. Meanwhile, pat the rabbit thoroughly dry with paper towels and sprinkle the pieces liberally with salt and a few grindings of pepper. In a heavy 10-to 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over high heat until a light haze forms above it.
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4. Add the rabbit and brown it well, turning the pieces with tongs and regulating the heat so that they color evenly without burning. As the pieces are browned, transfer them to a plate.
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5. When the chick-peas have simmered for their allotted hour, add the rabbit, onions, garlic, bay leaf and ½ teaspoon of salt and stir the mixture gently. Then cover tightly and simmer for 1 more hour.
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6. Meanwhile, place the sausages in an 8- to 10-inch skillet and prick them in two or three places with the point of a small, sharp knife. Add enough cold water to cover them completely and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels, then slice the sausages into ¼-inch-thick rounds.
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7. At the end of the second hour stir the sausages and rice into the casserole, cover and simmer for 30 minutes longer, or until the rice, chick-peas and rabbit are tender and most of the liquid in the casserole has been absorbed by the rice. Taste for seasoning.
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8. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pour the beaten eggs over the ingredients in the casserole (do not stir) and bake uncovered in the middle of the oven for 10 minutes, or until the eggs are firm and lightly browned. Serve at once, directly from the casserole.
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