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Title: Woodchuck au Vin
Categories: Game, Wine, Vegetables, Herbs
Yield: 5 Servings

2 tb (to 3 tb) olive oil
1 Groundhog; cleaned of scent
- glands, boned, and cut in
- strips or bite-sized pcs
2 Shallots; chopped
2 lg Carrots; in 1/2" dice
1 cl Garlic; minced
1 c Beef stock or water
2 c Dry red wine
3/4 c + 2 tb white vermouth
2 ts Coarse ground black pepper
1/4 ts Dried thyme
1 Bay leaf
2 tb Chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 c Pitted Cerignola olives;
- very coarsely chopped
2 tb (to 3 tb) flour
Chopped fresh flat-leaf
- parsley
Salt

The gardener who created this dish notes that the herbs
and vegetables in this recipe are available fresh from
the garden because they have not been eaten by the
dish's main ingredient.

Place a Dutch oven over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
Add olive oil. When the oil is hot, add woodchuck meat
and saute until lightly browned on all sides. Transfer
to a plate and set aside.

Add shallots and carrots to pan and sauté until lightly
browned. Add garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add stock or
water, red wine and 3/4 cup of vermouth. Stir with a
wooden spoon, scraping bottom of the pan. Return meat
to pan, and add pepper, thyme, bay leaf, and 1 tb of the
rosemary. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 20
minutes.

Add olives and remaining 1 tablespoon rosemary. Cover
and simmer, stirring occasionally, until meat is tender,
about 45 minutes.

Discard bay leaf. Raise heat and boil uncovered until
liquid is slightly reduced. In a small bowl, mix
remaining 2 tablespoons vermouth with enough flour to
make a soupy paste. Thicken sauce to taste by adding
paste a tablespoon at a time, simmering for a minute
after each addition; all of the paste may not be needed.
Stir in parsley, and season w/salt if needed.

If desired, serve over rice or egg noodles, or with
boiled potatoes.

Yield: 3 to 6 servings, depending on size of groundhog
and squeamishness of guests.

Note: A groundhog has small scent glands under the
forearms and in the small of the back that must be
removed. The insulating fat under the skin should also
be removed. A dressed groundhog does not require soaking,
though many people recommend soaking overnight in salted
water. As with all game, the meat of older animals is
tougher and has a stronger, gamier flavor than a young
animal. This recipe may also be made with the boned meat
of one large or two small rabbits.

FROM: Joe McDonald/Corbis

From: http://www.nytimes.com

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