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Coniglio allo spiedo (Spit-Roasted Rabbit)

Total Time1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 rabbit whole

For the marinade:

  • 2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 2 sprigs of fresh sage
  • 2 sprigs of fresh parsley
  • 2 cloves of garlic slightly crushed
  • A few black peppercorns Salt
  • The juice of half a lemon
  • Olive oil

Instructions

  • Place the rabbit in a plastic bag large enough to hold it comfortably. Then add the marinade ingredients, seal the bag completely (letting out as much of the air as you can manage) and shake it up. Place the rabbit in the fridge to marinate as long as you like, as little as an hour and as long as overnight.
  • When you are ready to roast the rabbit, take it out of its marinade bag, reserving the marinade. Place the rabbit on a spit, using kitchen string to tie it to the spit so it will rotate properly. Place the spit on your barbecue, placing a aluminum foil pan below the rabbit to catch the drippings from the rabbit, which would otherwise cause flare ups. Pour some water (or better, some white wine) into the pan.
  • Get the spit rotating and roast over a very hot fire until the rabbit is nice and golden brown.
  • While it roasts, make sure to baste the rabbit often with the reserved marinade and replenish the drippings pan with water or wine.
  • When the rabbit is done, let it rest for a good 10-15 minutes (or more) and then remove it from the spit (carefully, as the spit will still be hot!), cut away the kitchen strings and cut the rabbit up into serving pieces. Season the rabbit with salt and pepper, drizzle with a bit of olive oil and serve.