Nonna Mela’s Slow-Cooked Rabbit (Coniglio)

Ingredients
1 rabbit, cut into pieces 
250 ml red wine
250 ml water (plus extra as needed) 
100 ml white wine (for rinsing)
Olive oil 
Fresh parsley
1 onion, finely chopped 
2–3 cloves garlic, chopped
200 grams mushrooms, sliced
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

Prepare the rabbit: Rinse the rabbit pieces thoroughly in water, then again in white wine. Pat dry with paper towel. Using a small knife, create slits in the meat and insert sprigs of fresh parsley.

Brown the rabbit: In a large casserole dish or heavy-based pot, heat a generous amount of olive oil. Add the rabbit pieces and additional chopped parsley. Season well with salt and pepper. Sear the meat over medium heat until evenly golden on all sides.

Deglaze and simmer: Increase the heat to high. Pour in 50ml red wine and 50ml water. Cover with a lid and cook for 5-10 minutes. Repeat this process a total of four times (approximately 20-40 minutes of covered simmering), adding the same amount of red wine and water each round.

Prepare the vegetables: Meanwhile, in a separate pan, heat olive oil and gently sauté the chopped onion, garlic, and mushrooms until softened and lightly golden.

Combine and cook low and slow: Transfer the sautéed vegetables into the casserole dish with the rabbit. Reduce heat to low. Add a little more water if needed to prevent sticking, and continue to cook gently for approximately 1 hour, or until the rabbit is tender and the sauce is rich and flavourful.

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