Coniglio Bianco, Italian Braised Rabbit

Course: Main Course. Cuisine: Italian. Keyword: rabbit. Total Time: 3 hrs. Author: Hank Shaw.

⏱️ Prep: 90 min🍳 Cook: 90 min

Nutrition

534

Calories

—

Protein

—

Carbs

—

Fat

—		ribs, neck and belly flaps from the rabbits (for stock)
2		bay leaves
1/2 tsp	2.5 ml	fennel seeds
1 tsp	5 ml	coriander seeds
10		crushed juniper berries (optional)
1 tsp	5 ml	cracked black peppercorns
—		salt
2 to 4		cottontails, snowshoe hares or domestic rabbits
1/3 cup	80 ml	olive oil
1		medium yellow or white onion, sliced root to stalk
1 tsp	5 ml	dried thyme
1/2 cup	120 ml	white wine or vermouth
1 cup	240 ml	quick rabbit stock (see above)
5 to 6		cloves roasted or preserved garlic
10 to 20		green olives, pitted and cut in half
3 tbsp	45 ml	chopped fresh parsley

First you must break down your rabbits. Save the stray bones in the pelvis, ribs, belly flaps and neck for the stock.
To make the stock, put all the rabbit pieces -- not just the stray ones -- into a pot and cover them with cool water by about 1/2 inch. Bring this to a boil, then turn off the heat. Skim off any sludgy stuff that floats to the top. Fish out all the good pieces of rabbit -- legs and saddle -- and put them in a bowl in the fridge. Add the remaining stock ingredients, return everything to a bare simmer and cook for 1 hour. Strain and set aside.
Now find a heavy, lidded pot such as a Dutch oven and heat the olive oil over medium heat. When it is hot, add the sliced onions and cook until soft and translucent. Do not brown them. Add the white wine, 1 cup of the stock, the rabbit pieces from the fridge, the thyme and the garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer and add salt to taste. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and cook until the meat is tender, about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Finish the dish by adding the green olives and fresh parsley. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and serve.