Cottura in civet, cooking in civet, is a Piemontese (and French) technique for preparing furred game -- hare, venison, mountain goat, and so on -- by marinating it with wine, herbs (in particular juniper berries), and onions -- the word civet derives from the Latin cepa, onion. The wine is generally red and full bodied, though strong white wines can be used, and the marinade is added to the pot after the meat has browned. To serve 6 you'll need:
Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:
- About 2 /4 pounds (1 k) boned chamois, taken from the leg or shoulder
- 2 ribs celery
- 2 carrots
- 2 medium onions
- 1 clove garlic, peeled
- A sprig of rosemary
- 2 bay leaves
- A pinch of marjoram
- 6 juniper berries
- A pinch of ground cinnamon or a small piece of stick cinnamon
- 3 cloves
- Black peppercorns
- 2 ounces (50 g) cured lard (use fatty pancetta or prosciutto fat if need be)
- 1/4 cup (50 g) unsalted butter
- A bottle of good Nebbiolo from Piemonte or the Valtellina.
Preparation:
Cube the meat into 1-inch (2.5 cm) cubes and put them in a bowl. Add to them a peeled carrot, a stalk of celery, and an onion, all finely sliced. Add the remaining herbs and the wine, cover, and marinate for 2 days in a cool place, if the animal was wild, and for 4 hours if it was commercially raised, turning the meat occasionally.
Remove the meat from the bowl, letting the pieces drain well. Strain the marinade into another bowl. Chop the lard and the remaining carrot, celery stick and onion, and put them in a large pot with the butter; sauté the mixture over a brisk flame, stirring, until the onion has become golden. Add the meat and continue cooking and stirring until it is browned on all sides. Salt the meat and ladle some of the stained marinade over it; reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for about 2 1/2 hours or until it is quite tender, adding more marinade if it looks to be drying out. If you serve it with polenta you will want the sauce to be more liquid, though not runny; if you instead serve it with other vegetables you will want the sauce to be thicker.
Note: Other parts of Italy do something quite similar, and call it cottura in salmì.
Yield: 6 servings Chamois in civet.
Remove the meat from the bowl, letting the pieces drain well. Strain the marinade into another bowl. Chop the lard and the remaining carrot, celery stick and onion, and put them in a large pot with the butter; sauté the mixture over a brisk flame, stirring, until the onion has become golden. Add the meat and continue cooking and stirring until it is browned on all sides. Salt the meat and ladle some of the stained marinade over it; reduce the heat to a simmer and cook gently for about 2 1/2 hours or until it is quite tender, adding more marinade if it looks to be drying out. If you serve it with polenta you will want the sauce to be more liquid, though not runny; if you instead serve it with other vegetables you will want the sauce to be thicker.
Note: Other parts of Italy do something quite similar, and call it cottura in salmì.
Yield: 6 servings Chamois in civet.
