Recipes with rabbit, a meat rich in protein and low in fat

Rabbit meat falls into the white meat category. Meat that is particularly rich in protein, but low in fat. It is very digestible, tender and tasty and can be cooked in many different ways, but all equally tasty.

Each Italian region has its own recipes and variations, but it can be said that rabbit meat is eaten all over the country, although consumption is lower than in previous years. It is not a very cheap meat and that is also why it is left behind compared to similar but cheaper meats (see chicken or turkey).

Let's start with recipes.

Rabbit stew

• 1 rabbit, cleaned, skinless and cut into pieces (leave heart, liver and kidneys)
• 80 g lard
• 1 glass of white wine
• 1 sprig of chopped rosemary
• 2 bay leaves
• half a litre of meat stock
• 1 carrot
• 400 g tomato puree
• 2 cloves of garlic
• grams 20 of butter
• chilli pepper, salt, black pepper and flour to taste

Preparation of the rabbit stew

In a saucepan, sauté the finely chopped onion half with the lard in a few tablespoons of olive oil and butter. As soon as the onion is golden, add the rabbit in pieces, brown the meat for a few minutes, then add the white wine and let it evaporate completely.

Add the stock, rosemary and bay leaves and cook with the lid on for about an hour and a half.

In the meantime, prepare the sauce by placing the rabbit heart, liver and kidneys in a pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil and browning them together with the finely chopped onion and carrot. Now add the tomato puree and a little stock and leave to boil for about ten minutes.

Remove the rabbit pieces from the stock and add them to the sauce, stirring well to allow the meat to take on flavour and cook for another ten minutes or so.

Serve the meat piping hot.

Rabbit with herbs

Ingredients for rabbit with herbs

• 1 rabbit, skinned, cleaned and cut into pieces
• half a litre of dry white wine
• 1 onion
• 1 celery rib
• 1 carrot
• 2 cloves of garlic
• a few thyme, laurel and rosemary leaves
• salt, pepper and olive oil to taste

Preparing the rabbit with herbs

The day before, prepare the marinade in which the rabbit must spend at least 24 hours.

Cut the onion, celery and carrot into pieces and add the garlic cloves and thyme, bay and rosemary leaves. Add the white wine and into this mixture the pieces of rabbit.

After 24 hours, remove the rabbit pieces and brown them in olive oil, turning them several times until completely browned. Season with salt and pepper.

Meanwhile, strain the marinade through a colander or blender and pour the liquid into the rabbit and simmer for at least 40 minutes.

Serve hot.

Baked rabbit with potatoes

Ingredients for roast rabbit with potatoes

• 1 rabbit already skinned, cleaned and cut into pieces
• half a glass of dry white wine
• 1 sprig of rosemary
• a few sage leaves
• 1 clove of garlic
• 10 g butter
• 1 kg potatoes cut into small pieces
• salt, pepper and olive oil to taste

Preparation of baked rabbit with potatoes

First, in a frying pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil, place the pieces of rabbit together with the rosemary, sage and crushed clove of garlic and brown the rabbit on all sides. Then add the white wine and let it evaporate completely.

Now place the pieces of rabbit in a baking tray lined with baking paper and after having prepared the potatoes in pieces, add them to the rabbit. Place the cooking juices and herbs over the pieces of meat, season with salt and pepper and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 40 minutes.

Rabbit cacciatore

What you need for the rabbit alla cacciatora

• 1 rabbit, skinned, cleaned and cut into pieces
• half a glass of red wine
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• 600 g peeled chopped tomatoes
• salt, pepper and olive oil to taste

Preparation of the rabbit alla cacciatora

In a large frying pan, sauté the finely chopped onion, 2 cloves of garlic, rosemary and bay leaf in a few tablespoons of olive oil (the garlic, rosemary and bay leaf should be removed after cooking)

When the onion is golden brown, add the rabbit pieces and brown on all sides, turning often. Then add the red wine and let it evaporate completely. Now add the peeled chopped tomatoes and cook with the lid on very low heat for about 40 minutes.

Stuffed rabbit in the oven

What you need for the stuffed rabbit in the oven

• 1 rabbit already boned
• 350 g pork meat
• 100 g ham
• half an onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• grams 120 of finely sliced bacon
• half a glass of dry white wine
• thyme, laurel and parsley leaves
• salt, pepper and olive oil to taste

Preparing the stuffed rabbit in the oven

Prepare the stuffing by combining the minced pork meat with the ham, also finely chopped, the onion, garlic clove and chopped thyme, bay and parsley leaves. Adjust the salt and pepper and fill the inside of the rabbit with this mixture. Sew up the cut with food string and wrap the rabbit with the bacon slices, secured with wooden toothpicks.

Place the rabbit in a baking dish with olive oil and bake at 180 degrees for about 50 minutes. Halfway through cooking, moisten the rabbit with white wine. Serve hot, cut into slices.

Fried rabbit

Ingredients for fried rabbit

• 1 rabbit, skinned, cleaned and cut into fairly small pieces
• the juice of 2 lemons
• half a glass of olive oil
• 5 sage leaves
• 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
• 2 eggs
• olive oil for frying
• flour, salt and pepper to taste

Preparing the fried rabbit

Prepare the marinade where the rabbit pieces should be left for at least 12 hours.

The marinade consists of the juice of 2 lemons, half a glass of olive oil, sage leaves and chopped rosemary.

Once this time has elapsed, once the rabbit pieces have been removed from the marinade, beat two eggs with salt and pepper and mash the rabbit pieces. Dip them in flour again and fry them in a frying pan with plenty of olive oil until golden brown.

Rabbit with mushrooms

Ingredients for rabbit with mushrooms

• 1 rabbit, skinned, cleaned and cut into pieces
• 400 g fresh mushrooms, preferably porcini
• 1 onion
• a teaspoon of chopped parsley
• 2 bay leaves
• a glass of dry white wine
• olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Preparation of rabbit with mushrooms

Brown the rabbit pieces in a frying pan with a few tablespoons of olive oil. As soon as the pieces are golden brown, add the finely chopped onion, parsley, bay leaves, salt and pepper and simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the white wine and let it evaporate completely. Cook for about 20 minutes more, adding a little water or stock if the cooking liquid tends to dry out too much. Now add the thinly sliced mushrooms and cook for another 20 minutes or so. Serve piping hot.

Tuscan rabbit ragout

What you need for the Tuscan rabbit ragout

• Half a rabbit with its liver cut into small pieces
• 1 onion
• 1 carrot
• 1 celery rib
• a sprig of rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• half a glass of white wine
• 450 g peeled chopped tomatoes
• olive oil, salt and pepper to taste

Preparation of the Tuscan rabbit ragout

In a saucepan with 4 - 5 tablespoons of olive oil, brown the finely chopped onion, carrot and celery rib with the rosemary.

Now add the rabbit pieces and as soon as they have taken on colour, pour in the white wine and allow it to evaporate completely. When the wine has evaporated, remove the rabbit pieces and after they have cooled, debone the meat and chop it finely.

In the same cooking juices cook the rabbit liver for a few minutes and after mincing add it to the meat. Put everything into the saucepan with the cooking juices and add the chopped peeled tomatoes and the chopped bay leaf.

Adjust the salt and pepper and simmer for about 40 minutes with the lid on.