Liguria
Liguria's signature rabbit braise: rabbit joints browned in olive oil with garlic and rosemary, then braised with white wine, Taggiasca olives, pine nuts, and a splash of wine vinegar for 45 minutes. The Taggiasca olive — small, nutty, low-acid — is essential; it doesn't turn bitter with prolonged cooking the way Kalamata would. The pine nut and olive combination is the Ligurian flavour code appearing across the region's cooking. Finished with fresh marjoram — Liguria's defining herb.
Savoury rabbit with nutty olive depth; pine nut richness; marjoram resinous freshness; white wine acidity
{"Brown rabbit pieces in olive oil over medium-high heat — skin must colour before liquid is added","Add garlic cloves whole and rosemary with the rabbit during browning stage","Deglaze with dry Ligurian white wine (Pigato or Vermentino); let alcohol evaporate fully","Add Taggiasca olives (pitted, not rinsed), pine nuts, capers, and braise covered 40–45 min","Finish with fresh marjoram — added off heat to preserve its delicate resinous character"}
{"Farm rabbit works well but wild rabbit needs an extra 20–30 minutes and a stronger marinade","A tablespoon of pine nuts added at finish (not braised) provides textural contrast","The braising liquid reduces to a naturally thickened sauce from the pine nuts — no starch needed","Serve with focaccia or farinata to soak up the pan juices"}
{"Using large or strongly flavoured olives — they turn acrid when braised and overwhelm the rabbit","Adding marjoram during cooking — it turns bitter; add only at finish","Insufficient browning of the rabbit — the maillard crust is the flavour foundation of the braise","Over-braising — rabbit dries out past 50 minutes; check at 40 min"}
La Vera Cucina Genovese — Emanuele Rossi