Coniglio alla Romagnola

Ingredients

• 1 young rabbit, 1.2–1.5 kg, jointed into 8–10 pieces — legs, saddle, ribs, forelegs
• 60 ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 150 ml dry white wine, Trebbiano or Albana di Romagna preferred
• 200 g crushed tomato, restrained quantity — this is a meat dish with tomato, not a tomato dish with meat
• 2 rosemary sprigs
• 80 g green or black olives, optional; stoned
• 100 ml light meat broth
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 1 pinch black pepper, freshly ground
• Optional enrichment
• 100 g rabbit liver and kidneys, reserved from the butcher; kept whole

Method

1. 1
   Joint the rabbit into 8–10 pieces. Pat each piece thoroughly dry. Season with salt and black pepper. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy-based pan — a terracotta tegame or cast-iron braisière is traditional — over a medium-high flame. Brown the rabbit pieces in a single, uncrowded layer, turning once, until deeply coloured on all sides. This is not a gentle colouring but a thorough Maillard crust. The rabbit is ready to turn when it releases cleanly from the pan and the skin is dark gold.
2. 2
   Remove the browned rabbit to a plate. Reduce the flame to medium. In the same oil and rendered juices, add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for a further minute until fragrant but not coloured. The soffritto is done when the onion is entirely soft and the fat has taken on a pale amber tint.
3. 3
   Return the rabbit to the pan. Raise the heat and pour in the white wine, scraping up any deposits from the base. This is the step on which the dish lives or dies: the deglaze must be vigorous — every caramelised particle must dissolve into the liquid, as these deposits are the foundation of the sauce. Allow the wine to bubble and reduce by half until the sharp alcohol smell gives way to a rounded, fruity one.
4. 4
   Add the crushed tomato, rosemary sprigs, olives if using, and the broth. The liquid should come no more than one-third of the way up the rabbit pieces. This is a braise-roast, not a stew — the meat must not be submerged. Stir once to combine. Cover partially with a lid set slightly ajar.
5. 5
   Reduce the heat to low. Braise gently for 45–60 minutes, turning the rabbit pieces once at the halfway point. The heat must remain gentle throughout; a vigorous boil will dry and tighten the lean meat. The rabbit is approaching tenderness when a skewer meets only slight resistance at the thickest part of the leg.
6. 6
   Remove the lid entirely for the final 15 minutes. The sauce should visibly tighten and reduce, coating the rabbit pieces in a concentrated, glossy liquid that sits between a pan jus and a ragù. When a spoon drawn across the base of the pan leaves a clear trail that holds for a moment, the sauce has reached the correct consistency.
7. 7
   If using liver and kidneys, add them to the pan in the final 5 minutes. They will partially dissolve into the sauce, enriching and deepening it. The offal is ready when no pink remains at the centre when pressed lightly.
8. 8
   Remove the rosemary sprigs. Taste and adjust the salt. Serve the rabbit directly from the pan with its concentrated sauce and good bread to mop the residue. The sauce, thinned with a little broth, may dress hand-rolled strozzapreti or pappardelle as a preceding primo.