Test 1 - Lapin aux pruneaux et à la bière

http://www.cookismo.fr/lapin-aux-mirabelles-et-a-la-biere/9856

1 - The first attempt, while successful, was a bit fraught - it's a new way of flouring meat for a stew, where you add the ingredients one at a time to the cooking meat, instead of dusting the meat beforehand in a shallow dish. It's a dynamic and interesting dance, and one I'd like to get used to - less dishes, less time wasted fiddling with ingredients. I did alter a few things. The salt and peppering instructions, in the original recipe, seems sort of an afterthought. I've sprinkled the meat with a good pinch of both before putting it in the pan. Also, I increased the amount of beer from 1/3 cup to a 1/2 cup...
2 - This time I used frozen Italian prune plums since it's late March and hardly plum season. But I wanted to make this! It changed the dish a bit, and while the fresh Mirabelle are better, this was also very good. Good enough to bump it up to the next level.

1 large shallot, minced
1 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsps oil
1 whole chicken in pieces (or 4 rabbit legs)
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/4 tsp pepper
1 Tbsp flour
1/2 cup dark beer
1/3 cup water
1 Tbsp veal broth concentrate
10 small, sweet plums or the equivalent in volume in large plums
1 + 1 Tbsps brown sugar

1. Peel and mince the shallot.
2. Heat butter and oil in a pan until the butter starts to froth. Add the shallot and the meat, skin side down, and fry until golden. Sprinkle each side with salt and pepper before you turn them. Repeat for the other side.
3. Add a Tbsp of brown sugar to caramelize.
4. Add the flour and toss until the meat is coated. (cela s'appelle <<singer>>)
5. Add the beer and allow to simmer for a couple of minutes before stirring everything together.
6. Put the lid on and simmer for about 30-45 minutes (depending on thickness of meat). Internal temperature of the breast 165F.
7. Cut the mirabelles (or other plums) in half and remove the pit.
8. When the thighs are done, plate them and set aside about 10 minutes to allow them to settle. Bring the remaining liquid to a boil to thicken the sauce.
9. Meanwhile, quickly throw the mirabelles and the remaining brown sugar in a pan and caramelize. Be sure to remove the mirabelles from the heat before they lose their shape.
10. Pour the sauce over the thighs and then add the plums.
11. Serve immediately.