Serves: 4 | Time: 1 hr 30 min
Coniglio all’Etrusca is a Tuscan braised rabbit in a savory sauce of herbs and spices. 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 10–12 pieces
- 4 oz (115 g) pancetta or bacon, cut into cubes or strips
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 medium carrot, finely diced
- 1 celery stick, finely 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
- 1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
- 5 oz (140 g) pitted black olives in oil
- 2 Tbsp pine nuts
- 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 generously with salt and freshly ground pepper. Set aside.
Brown the pancetta and rabbit. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over high heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and sauté until the pieces begin to brown and render their fat. Reduce heat to medium-high, add the rabbit pieces, and brown them on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
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 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 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 and is juicy, not dry. Remove the rabbit from the pan and keep warm on a plate.
Finish the sauce. Pass the sauce through a sieve, pressing the vegetables with a fork to extract as much liquid as possible. Return the strained sauce to the pan. If it seems too thick, thin with a little water or chicken stock. Stir in the black olives and lemon juice. Taste and adjust for salt and pepper.
Return the rabbit and finish cooking. Return the rabbit to the pan and continue cooking over low heat for 10 minutes further.
Toast the pine nuts. While the rabbit finishes, 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 into 10–12 pieces.
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.
