Braised Rabbit alla Cacciatore
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 2 sprigs fresh tarragon
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 4 rabbit legs or chicken leg quarters
- 21⁄2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Flour for dredging (about 1 cup)
- 1 medium onion, peeled and chopped
- 1 stalk celery, trimmed and chopped
- 1 medium carrot, peeled and chopped
- 1⁄2 cup green olives in brine (preferably large Sicilian), drained, pitted, and chopped
- 1⁄2 cup gaeta or kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
- 1 tablespoon tomato puree
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups rabbit or chicken stock or broth
- 4 sprigs fresh rosemary (2 picked from stem, chopped and reserved; 2 whole for braise)
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 cup diced fresh mushrooms: portobello, crimini, porcini, or domestic,
- 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
Instructions:
This classic Italian dish is perfect for Sunday dinner when you have time to spend preparing something really special. The meat is braised in a rich concoction of high-flavor summer vegetables and olives. If you don’t want to try rabbit or it’s not available, you can easily substitute chicken legs.
- In a large bowl, combine the mustard seeds, peppercorns, tarragon, garlic, and white wine. Add the rabbit or chicken legs and turn to coat in the marinade. Let them marinate at room temperature for 3 hours or in the refrigerator overnight.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Take the rabbit or chicken legs out of the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Reserve the marinade. Dredge the meat in flour (shake off excess). Place the rabbit or chicken in the skillet and brown on all sides. Do not overcrowd the pan.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F. Put the meat in a casserole dish. Keep the skillet ready.
- Add the onions, celery, carrots, and olives to the skillet. Cook until the vegetables are browned, about 10 minutes. Add half the garlic and cook another 2 minutes. Add the tomato puree and crushed tomatoes and brown carefully without scorching, about 5 minutes.
- In a separate small saucepan, heat the marinade you used for the meat over medium-high heat until it is reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Add the marinade to the tomato mixture along with the stock, scraping up any browned bits.
- Pour the tomato mixture over the rabbit or chicken in the casserole dish and top with the whole rosemary sprigs and bay leaves. Cover and bake for 2 hours. The meat should be falling off the bone. If it isn’t, keep baking and check every 15 minutes.
- Put the meat on a platter and pull it off the bones. Set the meat aside. Remove the rosemary sprigs and bay leaves, and puree the sauce with an immersion blender, or in small batches (carefully!) in a blender or food processor. Strain the sauce through a fine-mesh strainer, pushing on it with a spoon to get as much sauce as possible. Set aside.
- Heat the skillet again over medium heat. Add the butter.
- When the butter begins to foam, add the mushrooms and cook until they soften, about 5 minutes. Add the rest of the garlic and the plum tomatoes and cook 2 more minutes. Add the vegetable sauce, the chopped rosemary, and the thyme. Add the rabbit or chicken meat and bring the whole mixture to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then ladle over hot pasta or gnocchi and toss to coat. If you wish, you can serve on a base of wilted greens.