Ligurian Rabbit

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PRESENTATION

As the name suggests, Rabbit Ligurian Style is a typical second course from the Liguria region, more precisely from Western Liguria, but nowadays, it is widespread throughout the national territory.
This exquisite dish is nothing more than the combination of the delicate and "sweet" meat of the rabbit with the quite bitter flavor given by the Taggiasca black olives, the local wine, and, of course, the indispensable walnuts and pine nuts. The diffusion of this dish in Liguria is easily explained by the large number of rabbit farms that have filled the region since ancient times and favored its sustenance: in particular, Savona and Imperia are the provinces where Rabbit Ligurian Style is prepared to perfection, given the great tradition of farming followed over time and reaching up to today.

Try these recipes with rabbit as well:

 

INGREDIENTS
Rabbit 4.4 lbs (1.5 kg)
Taggiasca olives 3.5 oz (100 g)
Onions 1
Rosemary 1 sprig
Rossese di Dolceacqua wine 1 glass
Garlic 2 cloves
Thyme 1 spoonful
Extra virgin olive oil 5 spoonfuls - about
Meat broth to taste
Bay leaves 3 leaves
Fine salt to taste
Pine nuts 2 spoonfuls
Preparation

How to prepare Ligurian Rabbit

First of all, cut the rabbit into at least a dozen pieces 1, remembering to set aside the head, liver, and kidneys.
Once this operation is completed, put the olive oil in a large pan, heat it, and let the chopped onion and garlic wither over low heat; add the rabbit 2 and brown it, then add the bay leaves, thyme (or marjoram), and the chopped rosemary needles 3. Cook until the rabbit has a nice golden color.

Let it cook for a few minutes and then add the glass of red wine 4, let the wine evaporate 5, then add the Taggiasca olives. If you like them, you can add the rabbit kidneys and liver 6.

Then add the pine nuts 7, mix everything well and then cover the rabbit with a lid 8 and let it cook for about an hour until the rabbit becomes tender (the meat should easily detach from the bone). From time to time, add a ladle of broth to the pot and let everything cook over low heat 9. Plate the rabbit, drenching it with plenty of cooking sauce and enjoy your meal!

Curiosities

A tidbit about Rossese di Dolceacqua: it seems that even Napoleon was so impressed by the goodness and delicacy of this red wine that he granted the Ligurians the "favor" of naming it after himself, but the people of Dolceacqua, proud and adamant, refused the commander’s gracious offer and continued to call it by its original name.

Tips

Nothing is wasted from the rabbit! If you have purchased a whole one, you can use the head (boiling it with some bay leaves, a carrot, and a celery stalk) to prepare the broth with which you will drench the rabbit during cooking. The cooking liquid will be even more precious, especially if you have enriched it with a good glass of Rossese di Dolceacqua. In any case, do not throw it away because, if you have prepared this dish in advance, just heat it up when serving, letting the sauce reduce.

For the translation of some texts, artificial intelligence tools may have been used.