Serves: 4 | Time: 1 hr 30 min
Coniglio all’Etrusca is a delicious and simple recipe from Tuscany. Rabbit meat has been a much appreciated source of food since ancient times. The original recipe calls for hare, but rabbit is far easier to find and works just as well. Its mild flavor is similar to veal or chicken, and it’s high in protein and low in fat. Rabbit meat is expensive and hard to source in the US due to “companion animal” campaigns. In Europe it is widely available and valued as lean meat.
Ingredients
- 1 rabbit, about 3½ lbs (1.5 kg), cut into 6 pieces
- 4 oz (115 g) pancetta or bacon, cut into cubes or strips
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 cup (250 g) onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 cup (250g) carrot, cut into batoons
- 3/4 cup celery stick, diced
- 2 whole sage leaves
- 3 fresh rosemary sprigs
- 1 bay leaf
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup (250 ml) dry white wine
- 2 cups (250 ml) chicken stock
- 5 oz (140 g) pitted black olives in oil
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts, roasted
- Juice of 1 lemon
Preparation
Rinse and season the rabbit. Briefly rinse the rabbit pieces under cold water to remove any bone splinters. Pat dry with paper towels, then season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.
Brown the Pancetta or bacon and rabbit. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the Pancetta or bacon and sauté until the pieces begin to brown and render fat. Reduce heat to medium and add the rabbit pieces and brown them on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Keep them warm.
Build the sauce base. Discard most of the fat, leaving about 2 tablespoons in the pan. Scrape up the browned bits from the bottom using a wooden spoon. Add the onion, garlic, carrot, celery, sage leaves, and rosemary sprigs. Sauté for about 5 minutes, until the vegetables begin to soften. Pour in the wine and reduce it to half. Add the chicken stock and bring to a rapid boil. Add the bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
Braise the rabbit. Return the rabbit pieces to the pan and cover. Reduce heat to low and cook for 30-40 minutes, turning the pieces once or twice and checking that the sauce has not dried out. Add a splash of water or chicken stock if needed. Meat is done when it offers no resistance when pierced with a fork and is juicy, not dry.
Finish the sauce. Remove bay leaves, cinnamon stick and rosemary sprigs from the sauce. Stir in the black olives and lemon juice. Taste for seasoning.
Toast the pine nuts. Heat a small dry frying pan over medium heat. Add the pine nuts and toast, stirring frequently, until golden. Watch closely — they burn quickly. Spread on paper towels to cool.
Serve. Sprinkle the toasted pine nuts over the rabbit just before serving. Serve with crusty Italian bread or creamy polenta.
Notes
Rabbit availability: Rabbit is sold at specialty butchers and some farmers’ markets. Ask your butcher to cut it for you.
Pancetta vs. bacon: Pancetta gives a more authentically Italian flavor; bacon works fine and adds a mild smokiness.
Cinnamon: Half a cinnamon stick may seem unusual here, but it is characteristic of old Tuscan recipes. It adds warmth without tasting sweet — do not omit it.
Olives: Use good-quality black olives packed in oil, not brine-cured. They should be mellow, not sharp.
Pine nuts: Toast them fresh right before serving. Pre-toasted pine nuts turn stale and oily quickly.
Make-ahead: This dish reheats well. Prepare it through the braising step, refrigerate overnight, and finish with the olives and lemon juice when reheating.
