This dish is from Liguria, the coastal area in northwest Italy. This space is understood for its plentiful pine nuts, which make an look on this dish (enjoyable truth: pesto, which depends closely on pine nuts, can also be from this area). Liguria additionally borders with the japanese aspect of France, and this dish shares French culinary staple — specifically slow-braised meat in a wine sauce.
Cooking with rabbit may be intimidating to Westerners, nevertheless it’s truly fairly easy. Simply consider it like an oddly-shaped hen, that’s made with all chicken. The toughest half is discovering an entire rabbit, which you’ll typically discover at specialty butchers or Asian markets. They’re additionally out there on-line, and my mates at US Wellness Meats commonly carry complete rabbits — simply throw it in your field the following time you get an order of their unimaginable 75% lean grass-fed floor beef.
Coniglio alla Ligure – Ligurian Braised Rabbit (Gluten-free, Primal, Paleo, Keto-friendly)
1 complete (~3 lbs) rabbit, cleaned
1 tsp kosher salt, extra to style
½ tsp black pepper, extra to style
2 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped (about 1 cup chopped)
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 bay leaf
1 sprig recent rosemary
1 sprig recent thyme, extra to garnish
1 cup medium-bodied pink wine (like Merlot)
~1 cup hen inventory
~15 small black or kalamata olives
¼ cup pine nuts
1. Break down the rabbit by severing the again legs on the hip joint, and the entrance legs on the shoulder joint; subsequent, lower away the 2 torso flaps that begin on the rib cage and run all the way down to the hips, reducing alongside the spine as you go. Subsequent, take away the 2 saddle fillets, that are straightforward to seek out alongside the again beneath the ribcage – they’re the meatiest elements of the rabbit apart from the again legs. Lastly, lower away any meaty parts you discover alongside the again – there are 4 bite-sized chunks to be discovered. Place the meat in a bowl and season throughout with the salt and pepper; use the remaining rib cage and spine to make soup inventory.
2. Heat the olive oil in a big skillet over medium warmth, then add the the front and back legs; brown till golden, about 3 minutes per aspect, then take away and put aside (browning the bigger items will assist them to change into tender concurrently the smaller items). Add the onion and saute till softened, about 6 minutes, then stir within the garlic and saute till fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir within the bay leaf, rosemary, and thyme, then add the entire rabbit meat, the wine, and sufficient inventory to succeed in ½ means up the rabbit, about 1 cup. Deliver to a simmer, then cowl and scale back warmth to low and gently simmer till the rabbit is tender, about half-hour.
3. Utilizing tongs, take away the rabbit and put aside, and take away and discard the bay leaf, thyme, and rosemary. Enhance warmth to medium-high and scale back till thickened, about 5 minutes, then stir within the olives and pine nuts and rabbit to coat. Serve garnished with recent thyme.
