A Tuscan winter recipe: stewed rabbit with rosemary, garlic and pancetta
In Tuscany this recipe is called “arrosto morto”, literally “dead-roast”. The idea scares the participants to my cooking class, they wonder if in other recipes we are used to cook the rabbit still alive….Actually this bizarre name refers to the type of fire used to cook the rabbit: “dead”,(on the embers), instead of "alive", (spit-roasted)
Learning Tuscan culinary tradition
We have our cooking traditions in our blood, since childhood. I spent mine in Liguria, so when I came to Tuscany, where I’ve been living now for more than fourty years, I found a few skilled teachers that made me understand the culinary tradition of this wonderful land.
All the ingredients of this recipe “speak” Tuscan: the aged pancetta ( called in Tuscany “rigatino”), garlic, rosemary, full body red wine: these words are enough to evoke the image of a wood burining stove with a simmering cast iron pan from which riseses an intense and inviting smell, exactly what we need to warm up these grey winter days.
Ingredients
( one rabbit serves 5-6 , depending on the size)
1 rabbit ( 1,5 Kg).
2 thick slices of “pancetta”
2 cloves of garlic
Rosemary
extra-virgin olive oil
1 glass of red wine
salt
½ l. stock (optional)
The recipe
Whenver it’ s possible I prefer to buy a whole rabbit at the local butchery. In this way, while cutting it into pieces I can check the consistency of the meat that should not be sticky or humid. when the entrails look good this is the last proof of freshness: at the supermarket they always remove the innards.
After cutting off the head, divide the rabbit in two. I don’t have a good aim so I lay the blade of a knife on the spine from the side of the belly and separate the two halves with the help of a pounder, a little at a time. Then I separate the thighs and the shoulders and finally I cut the rib and the yoke in 4-5 pieces.
Preserve the liver, which is a real delicacy, and the kidneys and remove excess fat and other entrails.
Sear the rabbit in a little extra virgin olive oil by placing the pieces in a large pan so as to form a single layer. Let it cook until the meat gets a nice golden brown color. It takes some time, the browning will have to be quite intense. Disturb the cooking as little as possible trying to turn the pieces only once.
In the meantime, chop together bacon, garlic and rosemary leaves and add them to the rabbit already browned in the pan.
Some recipes suggest to start with the pancetta and rosemary mix but I prefer to add it later because, if it’s true that this mix requires high temperatures to release all its aroma, it’s also likely to burn before the rabbit has taken a intense golden color.
Finally, add the liver and kidney too; pour in the wine and let it evaporate.
Transfer the rabbit in a cast iron pot and let it cook adding broth if necessary. If it dries too fast low the heat and cover but only partially otherwise it will look like boiled rabbit. Depending on the size of the pieces it will take from 45 minutes to 1 hour. If necessary add home-made broth, if you do not have it add just water. Avoid artificial broth!!
Serve immediately, with mashed potatoes, or crispy fennels, or a white “sformato” ( cardoons, fennel, cauliflower) and the cooking juice. If you don’t like to serve the liver as it is you can chop it ad add it to the gravy.
Tips and tricks
This recipe does not like to be re-heated, the taste changes a lot! Plan your cooking so that it is ready exactly when you need it. If you are early, rather than heating it keep it simmering till service time.
For browning I recommend a large non-stick pan. To continue cooking a cast iron pot is perfect, less delicate than the terracotta that is however fine.
The choice of ingredients must always come first: use a robust red wine. It doesn’t matter if it has been open for a few days, but never use a wine that tastes like "cork" in the kitchen.
I Prossimi Eventi
La Casa dell’Abate Naldi ospita le Lezioni di Cucina de Gli Archi Culinary School, eventi musicali, mostre di Arte ed Artigianato.
Clicca sui giorni del Calendario per scoprire quali sono i prossimi eventi, ti invitiamo a partecipare e a venire a conoscerci a S. Quirico d’Orcia, in Toscana.