St. Patrick's Day Duck and Rabbit Recipes

When looking for recipes of things to cook for St. Patrick's Day, just about everything turns up centering around corned beef brisket. This is the American version of St. Patrick's Day. To be more true to the rural traditions and the working class of Ireland, you'd have to cook mutton, rabbit or perhaps some kind of poultry or fowl.

Beef and lamb were far too precious of commodities for poor Irish farmers to waste on their own families. More money could be made at the market selling to the wealthy English landowners. But because mutton is hard to come by, and doesn't taste that good, here are recipes for rabbit and duck.

Armagh Rabbit

Ingredients:

1 rabbit (can use farm-raised or wild cotton-tail)

2 ounces all-purpose flour

2 cups breadcrumbs

2 large red delicious or golden delicious apples

1 tbs thyme

1 tbs salt

1 egg

½ stick of butter

1 large white onion

2 tbs parsley

1 tbs sugar

1 ounce butter

Pepper to taste

Directions:

If using wild game, dress and clean carcass as you would for any other dish. Wash and dry rabbit. Chop onions and fry gently in half a stick of the butter. Peel apples and chop; add to onions and fry until soft. Mix onions, apple and butter with all other stuffing ingredients, and brown quickly in remaining butter. Place rabbit in a casserole or baking dish, stuff, surround with excess stuffing, add well-seasoned stock, and cook for 1 hour, 45 minutes, or until tender at 350 degrees.

Serve with cooked garden vegetables. Potatoes, carrots and cabbage boiled with coriander and garlic are a plus.

Basic Roasted Duck

Ingredients:

1duck

1 large clove garlic

All-purpose flour

Salt and pepper

1 large white onion

1/2 stick margarine

Directions:

Fry minced onion and garlic in margarine in heavy skillet. Salt, pepper and flour duck. Put in container with tight lid, add onion mixture and cover with water. Bring to a boil; reduce heat to a good simmer and cook until duck is tender.