Kitchen Recipe Collection
Italian Coniglio alla Ligure (Ligurian Rabbit Stew)
A delicate, aromatic rabbit stew from the Italian Riviera, flavored with pine nuts, Taggiasca olives, white wine, and fresh thyme.
- Prep
- 20 min
- Cook
- 60 min
- Total
- 80 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- medium
- Cuisine
- italian
Ingredients
Scaled for 4 servings
- rabbit (cut into pieces)
- Taggiasca olives (small, black, briny olives from Liguria)
- pine nuts
- dry white wine (like Vermentino)
- chicken or vegetable broth
- onion, garlic
- fresh thyme and rosemary
- extra virgin olive oil (Ligurian preferred)
- salt and pepper
Equipment
- Large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed skillet with lid
Instructions
- 1
Brown the Rabbit
Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Brown the rabbit pieces on all sides until golden. Remove and set aside.
- 2
Sauté Aromatics
In the same pan, add finely chopped onion and garlic. Cook until softened.
- 3
Add Herbs and Nuts
Add the fresh thyme, a sprig of rosemary, and the pine nuts. Sauté for a minute until the pine nuts are slightly toasted.
- 4
Return Meat
Put the rabbit pieces back into the pan.
- 5
Deglaze
Pour in a generous glass of dry white wine. Let it bubble and reduce by half.
- 6
Add Broth and Olives
Add enough hot broth to come halfway up the meat. Toss in the Taggiasca olives.
- 7
Simmer
Cover the pan, lower the heat, and simmer gently for 45-60 minutes until the rabbit is tender and falling off the bone.
- 8
Reduce Sauce
If the sauce is too thin, remove the rabbit and boil the liquid for a few minutes until it thickens slightly.
- 9
Serve
Serve the rabbit covered in the olive and pine nut sauce, usually with roasted potatoes or polenta.
Cooking Tips
- Ligurian olive oil is famous for being sweet and buttery, lacking the spicy peppery bite of Tuscan oil. Use a mild oil for this delicate meat.
- If you cannot find Taggiasca olives, substitute with Niçoise or Kalamata olives, though the flavor will be slightly different.
Variations
- Chicken alla Ligure: If rabbit is unavailable, use bone-in chicken thighs for an excellent substitute.
Chef's Notes & Storage
- Rabbit is highly popular in rural Italy, prized for its lean, white meat which takes on the flavors of whatever it is cooked in.
Nutrition Estimate
380 calories · 40g protein · 5g carbs · 20g fat · 2g fiber per serving
