Rabbit Tuna is a traditional appetizer from Langhe and Monferrato.
✅Its name can be misleading because it is not a fish dish but a meat dish, so named because of the preparation that makes rabbit meat look similar in appearance to tuna.
✅A peasant dish that was prepared a few days in advance: the oil it’s immersed in allows for long preservation. Originally created to make up for the lack of fish and more generally to preserve meat for a long time.
✅Legend has it that this name is the result of a deliberate deceit by the monks of a convent near Turin, who, to bypass the restrictions typical of Lent, worked the rabbit meat as if it were canned tuna, to avoid sin.
✅At first glance, it is not so easy to distinguish rabbit meat from fish when treated in the same way: first boiled with spices and herbs and then immersed in oil for preservation. Legend aside, rabbit tuna is thought to be a recipe.
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Rest time: 2 Days
- Preparation time: 10 Minutes
- Portions: 6 people
- Cooking methods: Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: All seasons
Ingredients
- 2 lbs rabbit (loin and thighs)
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 2 stalks celery
- 3 bay leaves
- to taste thyme
- 4 cloves
- to taste whole peppercorns
- 1 lemon
- to taste sage
- 10 cloves garlic
- 1 1/4 cups extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
Steps
Prepare the broth with the onion, carrot, chopped celery, bay leaves, thyme, cloves, whole peppercorns, salt.
When it boils, add the rabbit.
Cook for 1 hour.
Let it cool in its broth.
Debone it.
In a jar, create alternating layers of: rabbit, sage, garlic, extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper, until the rabbit is used up.
Let it rest in the fridge for at least 48 hours.
I served it with Piedmontese green sauce over tomini.
FAQ (Questions and Answers)
How long does rabbit tuna last?
Stored in a cool place it can last up to 6 months.
