-
1
Place the quartered rabbit in a bowl of cold water and soak for 1–2 hours. Remove, pat completely dry with kitchen paper. Any residual moisture at the surface will prevent proper searing.
-
2
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy braising vessel over high heat. Add the rabbit pieces in a single layer without crowding. Sear on all sides until a deep, mahogany crust forms and the pieces release cleanly from the pan. This is where the dish lives or dies: rabbit's lean muscle has no fat to protect it through a long braise, and only a thorough, patient browning at this stage will preserve moisture and build the depth the finished dish requires.
-
3
Reduce the heat to medium. Add the rosemary sprigs, olives, and rinsed capers to the pan. Allow the aromatics to bloom briefly in the residual oil — the rosemary will be fragrant and the capers will hiss quietly.
-
4
Pour in the white wine. Scrape up any sediment from the base of the pan. Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer, then cover and braise over low heat, turning the rabbit pieces occasionally, until the meat begins to pull freely from the bone at the joints and an internal temperature of 75 °C is reached at the thickest point.
-
5
Remove and discard the rosemary stems. Taste the braising liquid and adjust for salt. The sauce should be coherent — the fat of the olives, the acidity of the capers, and the resin of the rosemary unified into a single aromatic register. Serve the rabbit in its sauce.