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Ligurian Braised Rabbit

Coniglio alla ligure (Ligurian-Style Rabbit)

Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 medium-sized rabbit
  • 1 medium onion finely chopped
  • 1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • A medium to light bodied red wine
  • A bay leaf
  • A sprig of fresh rosemary
  • A sprig of fresh marjoram or thyme
  • A handful of black olives perferably of the Gaeta or niçoise variety
  • A handful of pinoli nuts

Instructions

  • Make a soffritto of the onion and garlic, gently sautéed in olive oil.
  • Add your rabbit, cut it up into serving pieces. Allow the rabbit pieces to brown lightly in the soffritto and absorb the flavors of the onion and garlic. Season well with salt and pepper.
  • Then pour in a good splash of red wine, and turn the pieces around so they are all covered well. Add a bay leaf, a sprig of fresh rosemary and a sprig of fresh marjoram (or thyme) and cover the dish, turning down and regulating the heat so that the dish simmers gently. Allow the rabbit to braise in the wine for 45 minutes to an hour, turning from time to time and adding some water or broth as needed to keep things moist but not soupy, making sure that there is enough liquid at the end to make a nice sauce.
  • About halfway through, add a handful of black olives and another handful of pinoli nuts.
  • Serve immediately, napping the rabbit pieces with the exquisite sauce. I find that this dish goes particularly well with steamed or mashed potatoes.