Stifado is one of the most well-known delicious Cypriot stew that you must definitely try during your visit in Cyprus. It is a traditional recipe commonly made with rabbit. Of course, there are few that replace the rabbit with beef.
The main ingredient that adds the delicious finishing of Stifado, lies in the use of whole onions in the recipe. The secret of this dish though, is in the slow cooking, which helps all ingredients to mingle harmonically.
Ingredients:
- A whole rabbit (ask from your butcher to cut it into large pieces and remove the inside parts and head).
- 2 – 3 glasses of water
- 50gr (4 tablespoons) olive oil
- 50gr (4 tablespoons) vegetable oil
- 2 – 3 bay leaves
- Salt & black pepper
- 1 Cinnamon stick
- 100gr red wine
- 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 1kg. Small onions, peeled (place them whole)
Cooking Method:
In a pan place the peeled onions and sauté them in the vegetable
oil until they turn golden. When the onions are ready, remove them from the pan
and put them aside. In a pot, place the
cut pieces of rabbit after you season them with salt and pepper, add the olive
oil and sauté both sides until they turn golden.
Then add the onions, bay leaves, cinnamon stick, additional black pepper in
that pot and mixed them thoroughly. When
they are thoroughly mixed, add the red wine, balsamic vinegar and some drops of
oil olive. Lower the heat and cover the pot
for approximately 45 minutes until the meat absorbs all the flavors of the
surrounding ingredients and then add 2 – 3 glasses of water. Continue to cook Stifado, in low heat for
approximately 2 – 3 hours. After 2 hours,
you should try it, so as to make additions if necessary. You may need to add
more water during the cooking process until the meat becomes very tender. All water should be absorbed when Stifado is
ready. Serve with slices of bread and
garnish with parsley or oregano. The
choice is yours. Enjoy! ?
