Coniglio affogato alla Ligure (rabbit stew Ligurian style)

For ➍
1 rabbit, 1½ kg, cut into pieces

15 cl extra virgin olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced 

1 clove of garlic, coarsely chopped 

rosemary sprigs 

sage leaves 

small thyme sprig 

100 g black (taggiasca) olives 

2 glasses of dry white wine* 

8 tbs tomato pulp (polpo di pommodore with pieces) 

salt & pepper 

flour 

50 -100 cl stock*

Wash the rabbit pieces. Pat them dry and roll them in the flour. Beat them off. 

Heat the oil in a casserole. Brown the rabbit. Add the onion, garlic, herbs and olives. Cook the onion on a low heat. Stir in the wine and let it evaporate by half.* Mix in the tomatoes, salt and pepper. 

Stew the rabbit for 1½ h on a medium heat. 

If necessary, add stock to keep it moist. Serve with gnocchi or polenta.

*If wanted, replace some wine with some stock. 

Chicken* tajine & quinces

For ➍

1 kg chicken in pieces*

2 quinces

2 yellow or white onions

2 tbs sunflower oil

for the charmoula marinade:

2 tbs olive oil

1 ts turmeric powder

1 ts ginger powder

½ ts cumin powder

¼ ts cardamom powder

½ ts pepper

1 ts paprika powder

1½ ts salt zest of ½ preserved lemon

juice of ½ preserved lemon

pinch of saffron, toasted

1 tbs chopped parsley

1 tbs chopped coriander

5 cl of water

Make the charmoula: chop the zest of your pickled lemon very finely. Squeeze out the pulp with your hands. Saffron threads are crushed into small pieces. Mix with the other herbs, spices and olive oil in a bowl. Heat your tajine** until hot.

Cut onions in half and then into slices. Cut quinces into 6-8 wedges. Pour the sunflower oil into your tajine****. Add the onion slices and make sure they are evenly distributed over the tajine.

Then divide the quince wedges over it. Sprinkle the rest of the charmoula over the tajine with a spoon.

Put the tajine** on a low heat. Let it stew for at least 1 h.

Check after 30 m whether there is still enough moisture in the tajine, as the onions release moisture. If necessary, add a little water.

Serve the tajine warm and traditionally with bread.***

*Cook the recipe with pieces of rabbit. You might to adjust the cooking time.

**For those who don't have a tajine: you can follow the steps above in a sturdy casserole.

Or bake in the oven:: bake the chicken golden brown in a pan and then mix it with half of the charmoula. Take a casserole and place half of your onions in it, then place the chicken, the rest of your onions, the quinces, the rest of your charmoula and the water. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake in a preheated oven at 180°C for 30-45 m.

***Or serve with couscous, rice, bulgur or other grains. In the latter case  pay close attention to the moisture level, you will probably have to add the entire 5 cl of water or even more.

Risotto con coniglio (rabbit risotto)

For ➍
4 rabbit thighs, boned & cut into small pieces*
20 g butter
1 tbs rosemary
200 g fresh porcini mushrooms, cleaned & torn
3 tbs olive oil
60 g onion, peeled & finely chopped
350 g Arborio rice
1 dl dry white wine
1 l warm chicken or vegetable stock
salt & pepper
40 g Parmigiano cheese, freshly grated**
10 g butter**

Melt a knob of butter and sauté the rabbit pieces with the rosemary very gently for 3 m. Season. Set aside. 

Heat the olive oil in a small saucepan, add the onions and sweat gently for 2 m with a pinch of salt to help release the juices, then add the fresh mushrooms. Cook for 3 m. 

Add the rice and stir with a spoon. Increase the heat slightly and continue stirring until the rice turns opaque.

Pour in the wine, stir once only, and then leave to cook until two-thirds of the liquid has evaporated. Add two thirds of the hot chicken stock and a little salt. Stir every 3 m to encourage the starch to leave the rice and cook gently for about 12-15 m, adding a little more hot stock as necessary. 

Stir in the rabbit pieces. 

Add (some of) the rest of the stock and cook for another 3 m. 

Just before serving, stir in the cheese and butter.** 

Serve with a dry spicy white wine like viognier.

*Replace with 300 g boneles rabbit meat, cut into 4x4 cm chunks. Or use 400 g chicken meat, cubed< **Optional. Half quantities as entrée.

Read the tip on making a quick risotto.

Coniglio al Vesuvio (Vesuvius rabbit stew)

For ➍
300 g boneless rabbit
37,5 cl red wine
50 g plain flour, seasoned with salt & freshly ground black pepper
3 tbs olive oil
1 large onion, thickly sliced
4 celery stalks, thickly sliced
2 large carrots, cut into chunks
½ fresh chili pepper, finely chopped
200 g tinned green lentils
400 g Italian tinned plum tomatoes
50 g finely chopped parsley
25 cl water
salt & freshly ground black pepper

Place the rabbit in a bowl, cover with the red wine. Leave to marinate for 12 h.
Remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat dry. Dredge in seasoned flour and set aside.
Heat a large frying pan, add the olive oil and gently fry the onion, celery and carrots. Stir in the chili. Add the rabbit pieces and fry for 10 m, until golden brown. Add the lentils, tomatoes and parsley and season to taste. Add 2 glasses of water and simmer for 2 h until the sauce has reduced and thickened, adding a little more water if necessary.
Serve with the accompanying pea risotto.

Risotto with rabbit

For ➍
4 rabbits legs
1 large onion
2 carrots
3 stalks celery
3 cloves garlic
rosemary (a few sprigs)
3 bay leaves
400 g crushed tomatoes (canned)
15 cl red port
1 dash of olive oil
250 risotto rice
2 large shallots
1 clove garlic
6 dl chicken or vegetable stock
20 g butter
80 g Parmigiano (block)
pepper & salt

Let the rabbit meat come to room temperature.
Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Peel the onion and chop in rather coarse pieces.
Peel the carrots and cut the two ends. Cut each carrot first longitudinally into two and then into thick half-circles.
Rinse the celery stalks and remove the bottom piece and leaves. Cut the vegetables into small pieces of 1 cm wide.
Take a large casserole dish and sprinkle the pieces of onion, carrot and celery in. Pour in a dash of olive oil.
Crush the cloves of unpeeled garlic and throw them between the vegetable pieces.
Rinse the thyme and rosemary. Add bay leaves. Spread the herbs on the dish with vegetables and mix.
Season the rabbit legs with ground pepper and salt. Arrange them on top of the vegetables and drizzle a little olive oil over the meat.
Slide the dish in the oven at 200°C and leave roast for 20 m.
Remove the dish with rabbit from the oven and reduce the temperature to 150°C.
Place the dish on the stove. Put a medium heat to simmer vegetables.
Once the dish is bubbling merrily add the left over port.
Let the alcohol evaporate. After 1 m, pour the tomato on the rabbit.
Cover with a sheet of aluminum foil and put on the oven for 45 m.leave them for about 45 minutes away in the oven at 150°C.
Meanwhile prepare the risotto.
Peel the shallots and chop them finely. Peel the garlic and crush.
Pour a little olive oil in a casserole over a medium heat. Fry the shredded shallots with the garlic pulp into the hot oil. Stir frequently.
Turn down the heat. Sprinkle the rice grains on top of the glassy bits of shallot. Pour broth over twice and place the lid on the pot. Let the rice yarn in peace, until the grains have absorbed all the liquid.
Add a knob of butter and let it melt.
Grate the Parmigiano, and stir it to melt in the risotto.
Taste the risotto and spice rice preparation with a little salt and pepper from the mill.
Spoon onto everyone's plate a big scoop of risotto.
Put a soft rabbit leg on top, flanked by a lot of vegetables and some sauce.

Read the tip on making a quick risotto.

Waterzooi van Vlaamse reus (Flemish rabbit stew)

For ➍
1 rabbit, in pieces (1 kg)
50 cl vegetable stock
25 cl dry white wine
1 branch thyme
2 bay leaves
cream
salt & pepper
4 potatoes, peeled & sliced
2 carrots, sliced lengthwise
2 leeks, sliced lengthwise
3 stalks celery, sliced lengthwise
1 fennel, sliced lengthwise

Put the rabbit pieces in a pan with water. Bring to a boil. When boiling, remove from the fire and move rabbit pieces to another pan.*
Add the stock and wine. Add water to cover the meat. Add thyme and bay leaves. Cook on low fire for 45 m**. (Add water if necessary).
Meanwhile, steam or microwave the vegetables*** al dente****. Keep warm.
Remove the pieces of rabbit from the pan and keep warm.
Bring the cooking liquid to a boil and reduce to ⅔*****. Add a bit of cream, add salt & pepper and bring to a boil.
Add the rabbit and vegetables, stir and heat without boiling.
Serve in a warm serving dish. Have a dry white wine (s.a. Pinot Gris) with it.

*Brown the pieces of rabbit instead of boiling.
**When using rabbit fillets, reduce to approx. 20 m and use less liquid.
***Add a few sliced onions to the vegetables.
****20 m should be enough for al dente.
*****Or reduce and use a few tbs for the sauce.

Lapin aux cèpes (Limousin rabit stew)

For ➍
1 tbs duck fat
8 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
leg & saddle of 1 large rabbit (not separated)
¾ ts salt
¼ ts ground black pepper
5 cl dry white wine
4 plum tomatoes (blanched, skinned & halved lengthwise)
¼ ts dried thyme
275 g porcini mushrooms (ceps), cleaned

In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté the shallots and garlic until they turn tender and start to caramelize, about 5 to 7 m. Transfer the shallots and garlic to a bowl and set aside.
Season the rabbit with the salt and pepper; add it to the pan and cook over medium-high heat for 4 to 5 m on each side, to brown it thoroughly. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and tomatoes.
Return the caramelized shallots and garlic to the pan, along with the thyme and mushrooms. Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and allow the rabbit to simmer for 40 m, until it is cooked through..
Serve a portion of rabbit with roasted potatoes, a green salad and  a glass of dry white wine.

Conejo en menestra de verduras (Spanish rabbit with vegetables)

For ➎-➏
1 whole rabbit (or substitute a chicken)
1 medium yellow onion
1 carrot
1 large leek
1 large red bell pepper
several tbs olive oil
60 g peas (frozen or canned)
25 cl dry white wine
1-2 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
salt & pepper
75 cl water*

Clean and cut rabbit (or chicken) into pieces. Remove excess fat and skin.
Peel and chop the onion. Cut the carrot and leek into round slices. Chop the red pepper, removing the stems and seeds.
Pour several tablespoons olive oil into a large, deep frying pan, or a casserole. Heat oil and sauté the vegetables for 8 to 10 m, stirring occasionally.Season rabbit with salt and pepper. Add rabbit to pan and brown pieces on both sides.(If pan is too small for both meat and vegetables, remove vegetables from pan before browning meat, then return vegetables to the pan once the rabbit is browned.)
Pour the white wine and simmer the stew to reduce wine a bit. Then, add water* until the rabbit is covered. Add thyme and bay leaf. Simmer for approximately 1 h**, or until rabbit is tender, stirring occasionally. If too much water evaporates, add more so rabbit does not dry out. Add peas and simmer for 5 more m.
Serve with baked or home-fried potatoes and some bread to pick up the sauce. Serve with a glass of Spanish dry white wine.

*Use less water to get a thicker sauce.
**Adjust cooking time according to the thickness of the chunks.

Konijn met kriek (cherry beer rabbit)

For ➍
1 rabbit, cut in pieces
50 cl very good kriek-beer
1 roughly chopped onion
2 carrots
2 chopped celery stalks
2 laurel leaves
1 sprig of thyme
10 grains of white pepper
25 cl dry white wine
50 cl can of cherries (griottes)
100 g roux

Marinate the rabbit and vegetables, pepper in the beer. Put a night in the refrigerator.

Drain the ingredients and save the liquid.

Melt a chunk of butter. Brown the pieces of rabbit. Set aside.

Roast the vegetables. Add white wine. Add salt and pepper.

Add the marinade and bring to boil. Add the rabbit and let simmer (for about 30 m).

Take the rabbit out, keep warm.

Bind the sauce with the roux. Add the pieces of rabbit to the sauce and the cherries.

Serve with boiled potatoes.

Belgian kriek-beer is created from gueuze with sour cherries. Avoid cheaper and sweeter brands. Read Anglerfish in gueuze for more information on gueuze.

tip: game cooking times

wild boar steak             skillet           10 m
boar leg                         oven              30 m /500 g
fawn roast                     oven              20 m /500 g
doe leg                           oven              30 m /500 g
doe cutlet                      skillet            20 m (low-medium fire)
wild rabbit                    pot                30 m /500 g
hare                               pot                30 m /500 g
young partridge           skillet           15 m
pheasant                       pot                30 m /500 g
pheasant cutlet            oven              15 m (180°C)
wood pigeon fillet        skillet            10 m (high fire)