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Meat, Italy

Ligurian rabbit with potatoes

Ligurian rabbit with potatoes is an Italian braised dish for 4 people, ready in 90 minutes, rated easy, for €4.20 per serving. The rabbit simmers slowly with olives, rosemary and potatoes that soak up the juices. The key is browning the meat well at the start so it stays moist.

Slow cooked rabbit Ligurian style, with olives, pine nuts and rosemary, a dish from the Italian coast that smells like sunshine.

Ligurian rabbit with potatoes
Total time
1 h 30
Difficulty
Easy
Cost per person
€4.20
Calories per person
550 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Fall, Winter

Ligurian rabbit comes from Italy's coast, where olives and olive oil flavor everything. The meat simmers gently with white wine, rosemary and black olives, turning tender while picking up that salty, herby taste typical of seaside cooking. Toasted pine nuts add a light crunch and a nutty aroma right at the end.

This is a Sunday dish, or something for an evening when you have a bit of time on your hands. It's not really a kids' recipe since the olives and rosemary come through strongly. The potatoes cook right in the pot, so you don't need a separate side. Mon Chou suggests it when you want a change from chicken without extra kitchen work.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Rabbit, cut into pieces 1.3 kg

Pantry

  • Taggiasca olives or black olivesoften in the pantry 120 g
  • Pine nutsoften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Dry white wineoften in the pantry 20 cl
  • Olive oiloften in the pantry 4 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch
  • Pepperoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Fruits and vegetables

  • Rosemary 3 sprigs
  • Garlic 3 cloves
  • Potatoes 800 g

Allergens Tree nuts

The step by step recipe

  1. Brown the rabbit pieces in the oil with the garlic, on all sides. 12 min

    Sear over high heat, rabbit meat dries out if it cooks too long without coloring.

  2. Pour in the white wine and let it evaporate, then add the rosemary.

    Scrape the bottom of the pot, that's where the flavor hides.

  3. Add the olives and a glass of water, cover and let simmer gently. 40 min

    Turn the rabbit halfway through cooking.

  4. Add the diced potatoes and continue cooking. 25 min

    They soak up the juices and soften slightly.

  5. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts just before serving.

    Pine nuts sink to the bottom of the plate, so add them last.

Our tips to get it right

  • Look for Taggiasca olives if you can find them, they're milder than regular black olives and closer to the authentic Ligurian taste.
  • Go easy on salt early in the cooking, the olives already bring plenty of saltiness to the dish.
  • If the sauce looks too thin at the end, simmer uncovered for a few more minutes to let it reduce.

The variations

  • You can swap the rabbit for free range chicken pieces, the cooking time stays roughly the same.
  • For a vegetarian version, replace the rabbit with large chunks of button mushrooms or parsnips, and cut the simmering time to 20 minutes.
  • For a faster version, cut the rabbit pieces smaller and shorten the total cooking time by 20 minutes.

What to serve it with

  • A green salad with lemon
  • Crusty bread for the sauce
  • A dry white wine from Liguria

Storage

Ligurian rabbit keeps for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in a sealed container. It freezes well, just leave out the pine nuts and add them fresh when serving. Reheat gently in a pot with a splash of water if the sauce has thickened.

Questions about this dish

Can you make this dish ahead of time?

Yes, Ligurian rabbit actually tastes better reheated the next day, once the flavors have had time to blend. Cook it up to the potato step, then finish cooking just before serving.

What can replace the pine nuts?

Toasted sliced almonds or chopped hazelnuts work well instead of pine nuts. The key is to toast them dry for a few minutes to bring out their flavor.

Which cut of rabbit should you use?

A rabbit cut into pieces with legs and saddle works perfectly, and it's the easiest to find at the butcher. The legs stay more tender than the saddle after cooking.

Can you use a different wine than white wine?

A dry white wine is still the best choice so it doesn't overpower the rabbit and olives. If you don't have white wine, chicken broth with a splash of white vinegar can work in a pinch.

How long does it take to make a Ligurian rabbit with potatoes?

Count 1 h 30 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “easy”.

How many calories are in a Ligurian rabbit with potatoes?

About 550 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Ligurian rabbit with potatoes cost?

About €4.20 per serving, or €16.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains tree nuts. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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