Lagoto (Kos-Style Rabbit Stew)
Ingredients
- 1 whole rabbit approximately 1.5 kg / 3.3 lbs, cut into 8 pieces
- 1 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
- 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tbsp olive oil for browning
- 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 large yellow onion finely diced
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 240 ml 1 cup dry red wine
- 400 g 14 oz crushed canned tomatoes
- 2 tbsp tomato paste
- 480 ml 2 cups warm water or light chicken stock
- 4 whole allspice berries or 1/2 tsp ground allspice
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tsp dried rigani Greek oregano or thyme
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- Fresh flat-leaf parsley roughly chopped, to serve
- Hilopites Greek egg noodles, orzo pasta, or crusty country bread, to serve
- A drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil to serve
Instructions
- Pat every rabbit piece completely dry with kitchen paper and season generously with sea salt and black pepper on all sides. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Working in two or three batches, never crowding the pot, brown the rabbit for 4-5 minutes without moving it, then turn and brown the other side for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Pour away most of the excess fat but do not wipe the pot - the browned fond is concentrated flavour.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil. Add the diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes until completely soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook a further 2 minutes until fragrant but not coloured.
- Pour in the red wine, scraping up every bit of fond from the pot bottom with a wooden spoon. Let it reduce for 3-4 minutes until the raw alcohol smell softens. Add the tomato paste and cook it against the pot bottom for a full minute until it darkens slightly.
- Add the crushed tomatoes, warm water or stock, allspice, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and rigani. Stir, taste for salt and adjust. Nestle the browned rabbit back into the pot in a single layer, mostly submerged.
- Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to the lowest possible simmer so the surface barely moves. Cover with the lid slightly ajar and braise for 75-90 minutes, turning the rabbit once at the halfway point. It is ready when the meat pulls easily from the bone and the sauce coats a spoon.
- Remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaves and allspice berries. Taste once more for seasoning.
- Serve over freshly cooked hilopites or orzo, spooning the sauce generously over so the pasta soaks it up. Finish with chopped flat-leaf parsley and a thin drizzle of your best extra-virgin olive oil.
Nutrition
Calories: 466kcal | Carbohydrates: 6g | Protein: 55g | Fat: 23g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 203mg | Sodium: 1063mg | Potassium: 1090mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 130IU | Vitamin C: 5mg | Calcium: 58mg | Iron: 9mg