Spiced Red Wine-Braised Rabbit
Chef’s pairing suggestion: Greek merlot or agiorgitiko, singly or blended with cabernet sauvignon or syrah, from the Peloponnese
Reprinted with permission from Modern Greek Cooking: 100 Recipes for Meze, Main Dishes and Desserts (Rizzoli New York, 2018).
Yield: 4 appetizer servings; 2 entrée servings
1/2 cup canola oil, divided
1 medium Vidalia (sweet) onion, thinly sliced
1 head garlic, cloves thinly sliced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 cups red wine vinegar
4 cups (1 L) dry red wine
2 whole rabbit legs (see Notes)
kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
12 cipollini onions (8 ounces total), peeled
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
5 thyme sprigs
2 rosemary sprigs, plus small sprigs for garnish
In a medium skillet, warm 1/4 cup oil. Add Vidalia onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add cinnamon, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, and vinegar and cook, scraping up browned bits on the bottom, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer, then cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let marinade cool. This step can be done in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Transfer marinade to a medium bowl, add rabbit, and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Remove rabbit from marinade and scrape off spices; reserve marinade. Pat rabbit dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a medium skillet, warm remaining 1/4 cup oil. Add rabbit and cook over medium heat, turning legs every 20 to 30 seconds, until mahogany brown, about 5 minutes.
Transfer rabbit to a small enameled cast-iron casserole. Add marinade, cipollini onions, tomatoes, thyme, and rosemary. Cover and bring to a simmer, then transfer to oven and braise until a cake tester slides easily into meat, about 2 hours.
Transfer rabbit to a medium saucepan. Strain braising liquid through a medium sieve into pan. Reserve 4 tomato halves and 4 cipollini onions and discard remaining solids in sieve. Let rabbit cool completely. (The braised meat can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.) Reheat rabbit in braising liquid. Transfer to a serving bowl or bowls, garnish with rosemary, and serve with reserved tomatoes and onions.
NOTES The rabbit needs to marinate for at least 24 hours, so plan accordingly. Rabbit is available at butcher shops and farmers markets. Letting the rabbit cool in the braising liquid makes it extra juicy. The meat should be falling-apart tender; if it starts to shred when you plate it, that’s a good sign.
VARIATIONS Instead of rabbit, try this rustic stew with chicken, venison, quail, pheasant or even octopus. Shallots can be swapped in for the cipollini onions.
Yield: 4 appetizer servings; 2 entrée servings
1/2 cup canola oil, divided
1 medium Vidalia (sweet) onion, thinly sliced
1 head garlic, cloves thinly sliced
3 tablespoons tomato paste
2 cinnamon sticks
3 bay leaves
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 tablespoon allspice berries
1 teaspoon whole cloves
2 cups red wine vinegar
4 cups (1 L) dry red wine
2 whole rabbit legs (see Notes)
kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper
12 cipollini onions (8 ounces total), peeled
6 cherry tomatoes, halved
5 thyme sprigs
2 rosemary sprigs, plus small sprigs for garnish
In a medium skillet, warm 1/4 cup oil. Add Vidalia onion and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned, 12 to 15 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add cinnamon, bay leaves, peppercorns, allspice, cloves, and vinegar and cook, scraping up browned bits on the bottom, until reduced by half, about 5 minutes. Add wine and bring to a simmer, then cook over low heat for 20 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and let marinade cool. This step can be done in advance and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
Transfer marinade to a medium bowl, add rabbit, and turn to coat. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Heat oven to 325 degrees. Remove rabbit from marinade and scrape off spices; reserve marinade. Pat rabbit dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. In a medium skillet, warm remaining 1/4 cup oil. Add rabbit and cook over medium heat, turning legs every 20 to 30 seconds, until mahogany brown, about 5 minutes.
Transfer rabbit to a small enameled cast-iron casserole. Add marinade, cipollini onions, tomatoes, thyme, and rosemary. Cover and bring to a simmer, then transfer to oven and braise until a cake tester slides easily into meat, about 2 hours.
Transfer rabbit to a medium saucepan. Strain braising liquid through a medium sieve into pan. Reserve 4 tomato halves and 4 cipollini onions and discard remaining solids in sieve. Let rabbit cool completely. (The braised meat can be refrigerated for up to 5 days.) Reheat rabbit in braising liquid. Transfer to a serving bowl or bowls, garnish with rosemary, and serve with reserved tomatoes and onions.
NOTES The rabbit needs to marinate for at least 24 hours, so plan accordingly. Rabbit is available at butcher shops and farmers markets. Letting the rabbit cool in the braising liquid makes it extra juicy. The meat should be falling-apart tender; if it starts to shred when you plate it, that’s a good sign.
VARIATIONS Instead of rabbit, try this rustic stew with chicken, venison, quail, pheasant or even octopus. Shallots can be swapped in for the cipollini onions.