(il coniglio con olive verdi e timo)
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Chicken the same way.
Rabbits, chickens, pigeons and snails show up in so many european recipes because they were the live versions of salted meats. You could hunt- or fish- but never be guaranteed of anything for the pot. You can kill it and salt it, the reason we still eat so much prosciutto crudo and salt cod from Scandinavia. Or you could keep them alive until you’re ready for them. That rabbits could be thrown vegetable trimmings only re-enforced their place in our hearts.
Rabbit can tend towards dryness, so brining can really pay off. , (That is, soaking it in salted water to retain moisture – as little 20 minutes under salt water can achieve miracles). This is a master recipe, what used to be called a fricassée in English. Once you grasp the browning and then the slow simmering, you can really run with this one.
Ingredients
One rabbit, broken down into 8, 10 or 12 pieces, depending on the nationality of your butcher, discarding the head and the internal organs. Or chicken thighs, skin on or off. Olive oil White wine
Thyme
Olives
Directions
In a heavy-bottom pot big enough to hold all the pieces, radically brown the rabbit in a little high quality olive oil, careful not to overcrowd the pan. (If using chicken thighs with skin on, no need to use any oil). Browning demands high heat, no lid and no crowding, all the things that promotes condensation on the bottom, which is actually boiling. Go for mahogany. Or even dark brown
Once all the pieces are radically browned, add the entire rabbit back to the pan, deglaze with white wine and add half the thyme and all the olives
Cover and move to the smallest flame you have. Simmer gently until done. This will likely be about half an hour, but it depends on the age and breed of rabbit
Toss with a good glug of raw oil and the remaining thyme and then, serve it forth
Wine: a nice herby white. Verdeca would be my first choice. Then a fiano.
