MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v8.06

     Title: Cat Braisé
Categories: Cat, Game
     Yield: 1 Batch

     1    Cat; cut in serving-sized
          - pieces
          Flour; for dusting
   1/4 c  Extra virgin olive oil
     6    Artichokes
       sl Slab bacon; thick; diced
     1 sm Sweet onion; diced
     4 cl Garlic; minced
     1    Carrot; diced
     1    Lemon
     3 sm Tomatoes; peeled, seeded,
          - and diced
   1/2 c  Dry white wine
     2 c  Homemade chicken broth; 4 c
     4    Flat parsley stems
     6    Leafy thyme branches
     1    Bay leaf
          Salt and pepper
   1/4 c  Flat-leaf parsley; chopped
          - (optional)

 Get a large cutting board and lay out your cat. Lop off the head, the
 tail, and the feet with a sharp butcher's knife. These parts of the
 cat contain little usable meat, so give them to the dog.

 Make a longitudinal incision on the cat's abdomen. Reach your hand
 into the body cavity, and remove all of the internal organs. Discard
 them--especially the liver. It may look tasty, but the liver of a
 felis domesticus is frequently too toxic for human consumption.

 Time to skin. As the saying goes, there's more than one way to do it,
 but the basic advice is to use a sharp knife to trim off the skin,
 and pull it back, snipping away at the muscle tissue. Alternatively,
 grab some loose skin near the head stump and, using a pair of pliers,
 peel it back off the carcass like a banana or like how you'd skin an
 eel, rolling it off the body.

 Wash the meat of stray gristle and hairs.

 Pour yourself a drink.

 Dust cat pieces in flour with salt and pepper.

 Tie up parsley, thyme, and bay leaf with kitchen twine

 Snap the leaves off the artichokes until only the tender inner leaves
 remain. Snap off the stem. Trim the remaining green bits from the
 bottom of the artichoke, and cut off the inner leaves in a bunch at
 the point where they are very tender. Pare the tough green outer
 layer off the remaining stem, pairing the stem into a point. Now cut
 the artichoke bottom into quarters and remove the choke with a sharp
 knife from each quarter. Rinse to remove any traces of foin and drop
 them into a bowl of water acidulated with the juice of half a lemon.

 Heat 2 tb olive oil in a large heavy casserole or Dutch oven. Dredge
 the cat pieces in seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Brown over
 medium heat, turning regularly, until golden on all sides. Remove cat
 pieces to a plate and dump any oil remaining in the pan. Add 1 tb oil
 and the bacon dice. Sauté until cooked but not crisp. Add the
 remaining 1 tb oil and the onion and carrot. Saute for 5 minutes,
 then add the artichoke quarters and the garlic, stir one minute, and
 add the tomatoes and the white wine. Turn up the heat and reduce
 until syrupy, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes. Lay the
 parsley, thyme and bay leaf garnish on top of the vegetables.
 Arrange the cat pieces on top, together with any juice accumulated
 in the plate.

 Pour in enough broth to come halfway up the sides of the cat pieces.
 Cover and bring to a simmer. Continue to simmer over very low heat
 about 1 hour or cook in the oven at 350°F (170°C) for the same
 amount of time. The cat should be just tender and part readily from
 the bone. Don't overcook or it will become dry. Check the liquid
 level frequently and add more broth if necessary. Turn the cat
 pieces once.

 When done, remove the cat pieces to a warm platter and arrange the
 vegetables, removed with a slotted spoon, around them. Cover and keep
 warm. Strain the remaining pan juices into a smaller saucepan and
 reduce over high heat, skimming frequently, until reduced by 1/3rd.
 Pour over the platter and serve immediately. Sprinkle with finely
 chopped flat-leaf parsley if you like.

 Serve with the best bottle of Sauvignon Blanc that you can source.

 Recipe by Jason Goroncy

 Recipe FROM:
 <https://jasongoroncy.com/2010/12/10/main-course-felis-domesticus/>

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