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1
If time permits, place the rabbit pieces in a bowl with the rosé, several sprigs of thyme, and a few crushed garlic cloves. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The following day, drain and pat every piece thoroughly dry with a cloth. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
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2
Heat the olive oil in a heavy braising pot over a high flame. Working in batches so as not to crowd the pan, sear the rabbit pieces — this is where the dish lives or dies: lean rabbit yields no flavour without full Maillard development. Turn each piece only when it releases cleanly and presents a deep, even, chestnut-brown crust on all faces. Remove the browned pieces to a plate and reserve.
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3
Reduce the flame to medium. In the fat remaining in the pot, sweat the diced onions, celery, and fennel — the Provençal soffritto — stirring occasionally until completely softened, translucent, and beginning to colour at the edges.
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4
Raise the heat and pour in the 300 ml of rosé, scraping the caramelised deposits from the base of the pot. Allow the wine to reduce by half; the sharp edge of the alcohol should no longer be detectable on the nose.
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5
Add the crushed tomatoes, the unpeeled garlic cloves, and the bouquet garni of thyme, rosemary, bay, and savory. Return all the rabbit pieces — forelegs, saddle, and hind legs — to the pot. The pieces should be half-submerged in the liquid. Cover the pot and place in an oven preheated to 160°C.
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6
After 45 minutes, check the forelegs and saddle pieces. They are done when the meat yields to gentle pressure and a skewer meets no resistance at the thickest point. Remove these faster-cooking pieces to a warm plate, cover, and return the pot to the oven. Leave the hind legs for the remainder of the 90-minute total braising time.
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7
With 15 minutes of braising time remaining, return all the reserved rabbit pieces to the pot. Add the Niçois olives and capers. Sauté the reserved liver separately in a small pan with a little olive oil until just coloured on the outside but still pink within; slice and add to the pot. The olives should warm through without losing their brine character.
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8
In the final 5 minutes, stir in the tablespoon of pastis. The anise note should be faint and integrating, not dominant — a brief simmer melds it into the sauce. Taste and correct the seasoning. The finished sauce should be concentrated, herb-fragrant, and coat a spoon lightly. The rabbit should pull cleanly from the bone but not be falling apart.
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9
Bring the pot to the table. Serve with fresh pasta or rice to absorb the sauce. The soft garlic cloves are presented unpeeled; each diner presses them from their skins to spread on bread.