Elephant Stew

ELEPHANT STEW

1 Elephant (medium sized)

2 Rabbits (optional)

Salt

Pepper

Brown Gravy

2 cups white beans, soaked overnight

6 cups water

1 tsp. salt

1 bay leaf

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 onion, coarsely chopped

3 carrots, peeled and chopped

3 stalks celery, diced

6 cloves garlic, chopped

½ tsp. fresh ground pepper

1½ cups chicken broth

Cut the elephant into small bite size pieces.  (Plan ahead, this should take about two months.)  Add enough brown gravy to cover.  Cook over kerosene fire for about four weeks at 465º. About two hours before the elephant is cooked, combine beans, water, ½ tsp. salt and bay leaf in Dutch oven or kettle.  Bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce heat to low, cover partially and simmer until the beans are tender (about 1- 1½ hour).  Drain the beans reserving ½ cup liquid.  Discard bay leaf.

Combine reserved liquid and ½ cup of the cooked beans in a bowl or food processor and mash until it forms a paste.  Stir the bean paste into the cooked beans and set aside.

Add olive oil to the kettle to heat.  Stir in onion, carrots and celery, garlic and cook 10-15 minutes until tender crisp.  Stir in salt, pepper, beans, elephant, and chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer until the stew is bubbling and thick.  Serve with croutons. If more people are expected, two rabbits may be added, but do this only if necessary because most people do not like to find ‘hare’ in their stew.

This is a great recipe when company comes unexpectedly.  If an elephant is not available, simply use the rabbits, or one venison neck roast and instead of cooking over kerosene fire for four weeks, simmer in Dutch oven for 2-3 hours until cooked and tender.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT: I would never cook an elephant!

Interesting Facts about Elephants

• Elephants are capable of human-like emotions such as feeling loss, grieving and even crying. They remember and mourn their loved ones, even many years after their death. When the "Elephant Whisperer" Lawrence Anthony died, a herd of elephants arrived at his house to mourn him. 
• Elephants are avid eaters. Daily, they can be feeding for up to 16 hours and consume up to 600 pounds of food. 
• The average life span for an elephant in the wild is about 50 to 70 years. The oldest elephant ever was Lin Wang, an Asian elephant, who died on February 2003 at the age of 86. 
• Elephants use mud as a sunscreen, protecting their skin from ultraviolet light. Although tough, their skin is very sensitive. Without the regular mud baths to protect it from burning, insect bites, and moisture loss, their skin suffers serious damage.
•  Elephant females undergo the longest gestation period of all mammals - they are pregnant for 22 months.
• Elephants recognize themselves in a mirror, the same as magpies, dolphins, and toddlers.

Welcome to the 2018 A-Z Blogging challenge.  This will be my fourth year. Every year I take on the challenge with hopes of disciplining myself to keep writing throughout the year as much, if not more than just through the monthly challenge. (It certainly is a challenge.)  Some years are better than others.  Some I just lose track of time.  This year I have decided to put my favorite hobbies together. A recipe that is tried and true as well as some thoughtful insight.  Please note some of these recipes have been shared before, however they have gone through years of testing and this is the perfected recipe.  I really hope one of my recipes or “Food for Thought” inspires you to do something great.  Enjoy the read and the photos, try the recipe, share your thoughts or comments, and most of all, have FUN with the challenge this month!

Cheers,