Liska – na lovački način

Ingredients (for 4 people):

• 2 coots
• salt
• pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• rosemary
• 1 hot pepper
• 1 red onion
• 3 dl of red wine

Preparation:

Finely slice the red onion, and cut the coot into 8 to 10 approximately equal pieces. Put a little fat in the pot, not a lot because coot is fatty. Add red onion and coot. Simmer for about half an hour on low heat. When the coot is soft, gradually add the spices. Towards the end of cooking, add 3 dl of red wine. Tomato concentrate can be added if desired.

Serving:

Serve the boiled coot with polenta.

Interesting facts about the dish:

It used to be poor man’s food. Most of it was eaten until Christmas and a little later. Traditionally, coot was hunted in Svitava. When preparing a meal, care should be taken as to whether it is fat or thin.
Lean coot was used for brudet, greens or on the carcass with puree. It was cooked for about an hour, and then the breast was pierced with a fork. If it doesn’t bleed, then it’s cooked. There is a popular saying “cunning as a coot”.