Having recently moved to Cambridge, I wanted to host a dinner party that was both delicious and did not demand too much in the ways of equipment, time, or specialty ingredients. I turned to Lost Kitchen, which has generally been a safe bet to easily impress with a 3-course meal. After Plenty, this is the cookbook I am most likely to cook every single recipe in due to its consistency and ease. I selected “Fried Rabbit with Charred Radicchio & Mustard Vinaigrette,” one of the two remaining main courses for autumn (the other being a moose stew… let me know if you have a source for this!) For an accompanying appetizer and dessert, I selected “Roasted Buttercup Squash Cups with Apple Slaw” and “Rustic Plum & Honey Pie with Vanilla Bean Soured Cream,” substituting pear for the plums.

Roasted Buttercup Squash Cups with Apple Slaw
Butternut squash worked fine as a substitute for the buttercup, although this dish could use more concentrated flavor. Perhaps the buttercup would accomplish this. I recommend cutting the squash “cups” into sixths instead of quarters if serving as an appetizers. Can be prepared vegan/gf to-order if you substitute oil for the butter when you roast an individual portion. The apple slaw is essential and yummy here, although I don’t have any further notes on it. Sadly, I forgot to take a photo of both the appetizer and the dessert. Paired OK with Icaro Nemico Bianco Vulcanico, a white Italian Malvasia.

Fried Rabbit with Charred Radicchio & Mustard Vinaigrette
This rabbit-leg preparation is a true confit in duck fat (I got a 10-pound tub of it from D’Artagnan, which is a bit more than a gallon) that is then finished by deep frying. The dish is overall excellent, but you need to be very very careful not to over-fry the legs. The recommended time of 3-4 minutes is should be more like 1-3 minutes (Erin French must have designed this recipe with meatier rabbits.) Just fry them hot and fast to get the outside crisp. Given the shorter fry time, I’d recommend starting with the inside still warm. Also note that people confit rabbit at temperatures much lower than the recommended 250F (I saw as low as 210F online) and not necessarily for longer. I would try the lower temperature as an experiment in the future.

Overall, the dish was a hit (despite the rabbit being dry). The accompaniments were lovely. I paired this with two wines: a fruity red-Rhône blend from Ventoux and a more foresty nebbiolo from Langhe. The latter definitely worked better with this dish.

Rustic Plum Pear & Honey Pie with Vanilla Bean Soured Cream
The dessert was the highlight of the meal (as with many Lost-Kitchen dinners I’ve prepared). Two months later, people still bring up this pie as an example of how underrated and amazing pear can be in a dessert! I made two of them and we almost finished both. Erin French’s disclaimer “I’m not one to fuss over pie crust; I lack the patience” was truly unnecessary. The crust turned out very impressive. I love how easy the crust is because it comes out very flakey and visually striking on the other side. I will definitely be using this simple and quick technique in the future. Served to much delight with a Sauternes.

Joe’s Rating: 6/6.5/8 (Squash/Rabbit/Pear)
Difficulty: 5/7.5/5