Marche
Marche's rabbit prepared in the porchetta style — a whole rabbit deboned and stuffed with the same aromatic filling used for porchetta (wild fennel fronds, garlic, rosemary, black pepper, salt, and liver from the animal), then rolled tightly, tied, and roasted in the wood oven until the skin crisps and crackles. The rolling concentrates the aromatics inside the rabbit roll, so every slice contains a spiral of the fennel-herb stuffing. The technique transforms a small, lean animal into a self-basting, aromatic roast.
Sweet roasted rabbit with crisp, crackling skin and intense wild-fennel-and-garlic perfume running through every spiral slice — aromatic, lean, and deeply satisfying
The deboning must preserve the skin intact — it serves as the natural casing and must crisp. The wild fennel fronds (not fennel seed) are essential for the specific anise-grassy character unavailable from cultivated fennel. The liver of the animal is always included in the stuffing — it binds the aromatics and adds depth. Trussing must be tight to prevent the roll opening during roasting. High initial temperature (220°C) crisps the skin; lower final temperature (180°C) cooks through.
Ask your butcher to debone the rabbit for you, specifying to keep the skin intact. Rest the roasted roll for 15 minutes before slicing to allow the juices to redistribute — premature slicing loses all moisture. The roll can also be braised rather than roasted: seal in a pan, add white wine and broth, cover and braise for 60-75 minutes for a softer, more yielding result.
Tearing the skin during deboning loses the natural casing. Using fennel seed instead of fresh wild fennel gives an incorrect, sharp anise flavour. Not including the liver in the stuffing produces a drier, less complex filling. Loose trussing causes unrolling in the oven and uneven cooking.
La Cucina delle Marche — Accademia Italiana della Cucina