Coniglio Bianco, Italian Braised Rabbit
User Reviews
5
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Prep Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Cook Time
1 hr 30 mins
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Total Time
3 hrs
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Servings
6 people
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Calories
534 kcal
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Course
Main Course
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Cuisine
Italian
Coniglio Bianco, Italian Braised Rabbit
Description
Coniglio Bianco, Italian Braised Rabbit, begins with breaking down fresh rabbits and reserving bones to prepare a quick flavored stock infused with bay leaves, fennel, coriander seeds, juniper berries, and cracked black peppercorns. The meat is then gently cooked in olive oil with sliced onions until soft but not brown, followed by deglazing with white wine and adding homemade rabbit stock, thyme, roasted or preserved garlic, and pitted green olives.
The braise simmers on low heat, covered, until the rabbit is tender and infused with savory, herbal, and slightly briny flavors from the olives and garlic. This method ensures delicate, juicy meat with a subtle complexity from the spices and wine. The sauce is built naturally during cooking, concentrating flavors through slow simmering.
This dish is best served alongside creamy mashed potatoes, white polenta, or rice, with a simple green vegetable to balance the richness. Tips include alternatives such as using chicken thighs if rabbit is unavailable, and roasting garlic for a milder flavor. The recipe emphasizes the traditional methods and ingredients that showcase Italian rural culinary simplicity with rich, comforting taste.
Ingredients
QUICK RABBIT STOCK
- ribs neck and belly flaps from the rabbits
- 2 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 10 juniper berries optional, crushed
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorn cracked
- salt
BRAISED RABBIT
- 2 cottontail rabbit snowshoe hares or domestic rabbits, up to 4
- salt
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 yellow onion sliced root to stalk, medium or white
- 1 teaspoon thyme dried
- 1/2 cup white wine or vermouth
- 1 cup rabbit stock see above, quick
- 5 garlic roasted or preserved garlic, up to 6 cloves
- 10 green olive pitted and cut in half, to 20
- 3 tablespoons parsley chopped, fresh
Instructions
- First you must break down your rabbits. (See note below) Save the stray bones in the pelvis, ribs, belly flaps and neck for the stock.
- To make the stock, Cover 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.
Notes
- If rabbit is unavailable, chicken thighs can be used as a substitute.
- Roast garlic by trimming the top off a head, drizzling with olive oil, wrapping in foil, and baking at 375°F for 45-60 minutes as an alternative to preserved garlic.
- Serve with mashed potatoes, white polenta, rice, and a green vegetable to complement the braised rabbit.
- Instructions for breaking down rabbits are included to facilitate preparation.
Nutrition Information
Show DetailsNutrition Facts
Serving: 6people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 534 kcal
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 534kcal | 27% |
| Carbohydrates | 5g | 2% |
| Protein | 74g | 148% |
| Fat | 21g | 32% |
| Saturated Fat | 4g | 20% |
| Cholesterol | 270mg | 90% |
| Sodium | 286mg | 12% |
| Potassium | 1366mg | 29% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 1g | 2% |
| Vitamin A | 195IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 5mg | 6% |
| Calcium | 68mg | 7% |
| Iron | 11mg | 61% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.
User Reviews
Overall Rating
5
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