Monday 2 November 2020

What's Up Doc?

There's a lovely butcher's shop in town. Been there for generations. A reminder of times gone by. I've never been there; which is a pity. If we don't frequent these small family businesses they will soon vanish and the world will be covered with supermarkets and multi-nationals. 

Not far from the butcher's there's a cobbler. You know ... a man who mends shoes. He's been there for ages too. Ever since shoes were invented it seems.

Anyway, I decided to do my bit for the community so I took a pair of very old shoes I had not worn for years to the cobbler's. He told me they were well past their usefulness and the only thing they were fit for was making soup with them. What a cheek!

So I decided to visit the butcher. He is old style type of butcher. He has hanging in his shop window various freshly caught and killed game all waiting to be bought and prepared by his expert hands. The notice in the window said: HARES - PHEASANTS - TURKEYS - VENISSON - CAPONS. The creatures all hanging there upside down in his shop window. Except for the Bambi who would be too big for the window.

I did not know what CAPONS were. I thought he wanted us to have a cap on in his shop for hygiene purposes. Turns out capons are a castrated domestic cock fattened for eating. OK ... let's move on.

The day I attended was rather early and he did not have a full display out in his shop window. So I asked him, "have you got any hares?"

He looked at me embarrassingly and replied, "this is a wig Sir ... temporary ... until I get one that matches the colour of my beard!"

"No ..." I said, pointing at the shop window, "hares!"

He looked at the window and saw two boys coming into the shop with their mother, "yes ..." he said, "they are my children ... my heirs are my pride and joy!"

"RABBITS!" I shouted.

"Oh ..." he said, "I have some nice ones in the fridge in the back.

He brought me a lovely hare that had been caught and killed that very morning. You could see the smile on its face as it waved goodbye to his family as it went out in the countryside to start a new day of foraging and jumping and enjoying life.

The butcher skinned the hare for me and cut it into small pieces ready for the pot. He also gave me its head saying that it would make a good nourishing soup for the dog.

When I got home I got ready to make a lovely rabbit stew.

As I supervised my meal cooking the front doorbell rang. I turned the heat low down and went to open the door. It was our neighbour with his wife.

"Have you seen our Bunny rabbit?" they asked, "he is grey big and fluffy and we think he dug under the fence and got in your garden!"

"Ehm ... no ... I haven't seen him," I said unconvincingly.

"You hesitated just there," said my neighbour, "are you sure you did not see him and think he was a cat or something?"

"Yes ... yes ... I am sure," I lied truthfully.

"Can we have a look in your garden?" asked my neighbour persistently.

"OK ..." I hesitated again, "I'll let you in by the side gate ..."

I could hardly let them in the house and through the kitchen to the back garden in case they recognised their Bunny from the severed head lying in a plate staring at them miserably.

They looked in the garden and found nothing.

When they were gone, to be honest, I had totally lost my appetite for Bunny stew and gave the whole meal to our dog Brutus. He'd betray anyone for a good meal, our dog!

23 comments:

  1. ...I haven't heard the term Capon in years and is it true that rabbit tastes like chicken? If so, why not not just eat chicken!

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    1. I don't know, Tom. I'll ask Brutus the dog what the rabbit tasted like. I know have KFC. Much easier and tasty.

      God bless.

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  2. When I was a child my dad would go hunting with some buddies once a year. The rabbits he proudly brought home and cooked were inedible to my taste buds. Don't know if it was his post-hunt or his cooking procedures.

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    1. Rabbits are quite edible in some sort of casserole dish with vegetables. Also, I understand in pies. Not much meat on them. Mainly bones.

      God bless, Kathy.

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  3. Dearest Victor,
    It is a sad story in many ways... I've eaten store bought rabbits, marinated them in vinegar with onions and then braising them. They taste very good and not like chicken in my humble opinion. Brutus will agree!
    The weirdest story I've heard was of a guy selling hares for sale and for one event he was short of one. He then took one of his neighbor's cats and grinned while thinking that people would be too stupid for recognizing a 'roof-rabit' without its head on. Makes one feel ill to think about it...
    The Capons was new to me as well.
    Hugs,
    Mariette

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    1. From what I recall when I was a child rabbit tasted like rabbit and chicken tasted like chicken, and turkey ... duck ... goose ... and all the others. Well, as a child I liked them all; but could I tell the difference? I am like Brutus I think.

      God bless, Mariette.

      Delete
  4. Never had rabbit stew, so don't know what it tastes like. I did have bear stew one time when I lived in Alaska and one of my teeth broke. Thankfully it didn't hurt, I had to get it recapped. Have a wonderful new week, Victor.

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    1. Bear stew; not that's something I never had. You must have had a big stewing pot to put a bear in it. What did it taste like? Bear or chicken?

      God bless you, Bill.

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  5. Poor little creatures! I've quite lost my appetite.

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    1. Yes, so did I at the time. I had a chocolate rabbit instead.

      God bless, Mevely.

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  6. I don't think I could ever eat a bunny . . .
    Blessings, Victor!

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    1. I can understand that, Martha. Many people feel the same.

      God bless always.

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  7. Have never eaten rabbit and never will! :)

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  8. We had rabbit on the farm. we kids didn't like it. wild rabbits have a different flavor.
    Throw the head away next time.

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    1. We had rabbits too when I was young. They were farmed and eaten.

      You're right about the head.

      God bless, Susan.

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  9. Much easier to be a vegetarian, as i am.

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  10. Quando ero piccola mangiavo spesso le lepri che il nonno prendeva.E' una carne molto buona,buon sabato!

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    1. OLga said: When I was little I often ate the hares that my grandfather took. It's a very tasty/good meat. Happy Saturday!

      My reply: Yes, I remember it tasted nice when I had it when I was young too. God bless, OLga.

      Sì, mi ricordo che aveva un buon sapore quando ero giovane. Dio benedica, OLga.

      Delete

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