Hunter’s Style Rabbit: The Secret of the Family Recipe
Hunter’s Style Rabbit: The Rustic Comfort Food That Tastes like Home
If there’s a dish that immediately takes me back to Sunday lunches with family, it’s the hunter’s style rabbit. One of those recipes that smells like home, tradition, and love for simple but full of flavor cooking. This rustic main course has peasant roots and is created to enhance the most humble cuts with strong and genuine flavors. The rabbit is slowly browned with garlic, onion, and rosemary, then deglazed with white wine and cooked with tomato, black olives, and sometimes a pinch of vinegar to give that slightly tangy note that makes it unmistakable.
I often prepare it on colder days when I feel like being pampered and having a dish that satisfies the soul as well as the stomach. Served with soft polenta or rustic bread, the hunter’s style rabbit becomes the absolute star of the table!
How to Prepare Tender and Tasty Hunter’s Style Rabbit
To get a tender and tasty hunter’s style rabbit, the trick lies in the initial browning and slow cooking. I always start by cutting the rabbit into pieces and letting it marinate with a bit of salt, pepper, and rosemary. In a large casserole, I brown the meat with extra virgin olive oil, a clove of garlic in its skin, and a bay leaf. Once well browned, I deglaze with dry white wine and let it evaporate. At this point, I add the tomato puree, a tablespoon of concentrate, and some black olives, then I cover and let it cook slowly for at least 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The result? Very tender meat that falls off the bone and a thick sauce, perfect for mopping up with bread. Trust me: the hunter’s style rabbit is a comfort that never disappoints, even if you’re a novice in the kitchen!
Here are other recipes with rabbit:
- Difficulty: Easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 15 Minutes
- Portions: 6 People
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter and Spring
- Energy 395.62 (Kcal)
- Carbohydrates 19.95 (g) of which sugars 0.68 (g)
- Proteins 36.73 (g)
- Fat 16.88 (g) of which saturated 2.48 (g)of which unsaturated 3.77 (g)
- Fibers 3.99 (g)
- Sodium 402.23 (mg)
Indicative values for a portion of 288 g processed in an automated way starting from the nutritional information available on the CREA* and FoodData Central** databases. It is not food and / or nutritional advice.
* CREATES Food and Nutrition Research Center: https://www.crea.gov.it/alimenti-e-nutrizione https://www.alimentinutrizione.it ** U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov
Ingredients
- 2.2 lbs rabbit (in pieces)
- 3/4 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons capers (desalted)
- 1 1/2 cups tomato puree
- 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 clove garlic
- 2 sprigs rosemary
- 3 leaves sage
- 2 leaves bay leaf
- to taste extra virgin olive oil
- to taste salt
- to taste pepper
- 1 onion
- 1 carrot
- 1 stalk celery
- 1 oz pork fat
Tools
- Pan Pentole Agnelli FAMA10SEL28 Select Aluminum Pan with 2 Stainless Steel Handles, 28 cm, Silver
- Cutting Board IPEA Rectangular Wooden Cutting Board for Vegetables, Fruits, Salami – Multipurpose Kitchen Board for Cutting and Serving Appetizers, Bread, Vegetables, Cheeses – Bamboo Tray with Eyelet
Hunter’s Style Rabbit Steps
We start by washing the rabbit pieces in water and vinegar, drying them and coating them in flour, then shaking them carefully to remove excess flour. Set aside. Take a tall-sided casserole, add a thin layer of oil, the pork fat, crushed garlic, chopped vegetables (carrots, celery, onion), tie together a bunch with bay leaf, sage, and rosemary, and place it in the pan. Sauté everything, then add the rabbit pieces.
Brown the pieces of meat well on all sides. When golden, add the white wine and let it evaporate. Then add the tomato puree and desalted capers, stir, cover, and let cook for 30/40 minutes on low heat. During cooking, ensure the sauce does not dry out too much; if necessary, add a bit of hot water. At the end, adjust salt and pepper, and finish with freshly chopped rosemary. Let the hunter’s style rabbit rest for a few minutes and serve.
Tips, Variations, and Notes for Hunter’s Style Rabbit
Other variations for hunter’s style rabbit: in white with olives, or with a sauté of onions, carrots, celery, and tomato
