You will want at least 2 cottontail rabbits for 3 people, although this will serve four in a pinch. One snowshoe hare feeds two easily, and a domestic rabbit feeds 2 to 3 people. Still, this dish is so good, and it reheats as leftovers so well, that I'd suggest you make more than you think you will need.
Recipe by Hank Shaw on January 10, 2013
Prep time: PT90M
Cook time: PT90M
Total time: PT180M
Rating
4.95 stars (18 reviews)
Keywords
rabbit
Ingredients
Ribs, (neck and belly flaps from the rabbits)
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
10 crushed juniper berries ((optional))
1 teaspoon cracked black peppercorns
Salt
2 to 4 cottontails, (snowshoe hares or domestic rabbits)
Salt
1/3 cup olive oil
1 medium yellow or white onion, (sliced root to stalk)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup white wine or vermouth
1 cup quick rabbit stock ((see above))
5 to 6 cloves, (roasted or preserved garlic)
10 to 20 green olives, (pitted and cut in half)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Categories
Main Course
Cuisine
Italian
Steps
First you must break down your rabbits. (See note below) Save the stray bones in the pelvis, ribs, belly flaps and neck for the stock.
To make the stock, Cover all the rabbit pieces -- not just the stray ones -- into a pot and cover them with cool water by about 1/2 inch. Bring this to a boil, then turn off the heat. Skim off any sludgy stuff that floats to the top. Fish out all the good pieces of rabbit -- legs and saddle -- and put them in a bowl in the fridge. Add the remaining stock ingredients, return everything to a bare simmer and cook for 1 hour. Strain and set aside.
Now find a heavy, lidded pot such as a Dutch oven and heat the olive oil over medium heat. When it is hot, add the sliced onions and cook until soft and translucent. Do not brown them. Add the white wine, 1 cup of the stock, the rabbit pieces from the fridge, the thyme and the garlic cloves. Bring to a simmer and add salt to taste. Turn the heat down to low, cover the pot and cook until the meat is tender, about 90 minutes to 2 hours.
Finish the dish by adding the green olives and fresh parsley. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes and serve.
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 534 kcal
Carbohydrates: 5 g
Protein: 74 g
Fat: 21 g
Saturated Fat: 4 g
Cholesterol: 270 mg
Sodium: 286 mg
Sugar: 1 g
Reviews
Pauline L DeMairo on 2025-05-23 (5 stars): I love eating rabbit any way it is made.
Over the years, I have made it many ways but this time I was looking for a new recipe. I follow your site and enjoy your picks so I chose this Italian recipe, "White Rabbit."
It is simply delicious! The ingredients enhance the natural taste of rabbit and the mix of green olives and parsely at the end adds a refreshing finish to the dish.
It was easy to make and I highly recommend it.
William Lazzarotto on 2024-10-24 (5 stars): Thank you for this rabbit recipe.
I grew up eating rabbit, my nonno
used to prepare it the same. I have been searching through so many sites and finally landed on yours.
Again, thank you.
Lamyku on 2024-06-24 (5 stars): An easy recipe to follow and the rabbit tasted delicious. It was my first time eating and making rabbit and the recipe does not disappoint. I could smell the aroma of the rabbit meat while cooking. The broth was a bit gamey when tasted but the stewed meat was tasty and not gamey. The recipe is easy to follow and does not require a lot of ingredients. As you said in the introduction rabbit tastes like rabbit. Thanks for sharing the recipe.
Ian on 2023-08-29 (4 stars): It was tasty but honestly this was our least favourite of the rabbit recipes on here we’ve tried. I don’t mean to knock it as it was very tender and tasted good. Nothing wrong with a simple recipe that lets the ingredients speak for themselves. I’m not sure I’m sold on this notion of not searing the rabbit. I far preferred the Spanish rabbit and still thought that tasted like rabbit and not universal white meat. Still, this was good.
LAUREN K ALLEN on 2021-09-08 (5 stars): love this recipe, one of the first I tried.
Jill Woodward on 2021-07-02 (5 stars): My go-to rabbit recipe, hands down
Danny on 2021-06-03 (5 stars): We tried this recipe with our first harvest of pastured rabbits grown on our property...wow, so delicious! My wife, teenage boys, and I mowed it down. Very easy recipe to follow, and we'll be sure to use it regularly!
P R on 2021-02-24 (5 stars): This is a beautiful dish that went well over polenta. My kids went for seconds while they debated what else rabbit tastes like. They ultimately agreed that it tastes like delicious. Next winter, I think I'll freeze some cottontails and serve this dish in the spring with a pat of ramp butter and capers.
Sean on 2019-07-11 (5 stars): I have been using this recipe since I started up my rabbitry in 2014. Hank is absolutely right about overwhelming the delicate flavor of rabbit. If processing your own, minizing the time between dispatch and in the cooler is paramount. A fantastic recipe that is also very flexible depending what’s on hand. I’ve made this dish dozens of times, and still never tire of the wonderful blend of flavors. Sure to please!
Melissa Davis on 2019-01-25 (5 stars): Loved this served over pureed celeriac (steamed, pureed with garlic and parm). The celeriac took what was already great to amazing. Used our domestic rabbit too.
Bob on 2018-11-14 (5 stars): I make this with older domestic rabbits, Flemmish Giants. I stick pretty much to the recipe except thay I use chicken stock instead of rabbit stock. Then I pull the rabbit off the bone, add a jar of sliced olives to the meat and put five ounces on a toasted garlic bun. This makes a fantastic sandwich.
Lori on 2017-09-10 (5 stars): I tried cooking rabbit for the first time, using this recipe. I chose it because it was simple and featured the rabbit's flavor. Instructions for breaking down the rabbit were super clear and it all went off without a hitch to make such a tasty dish. I looked through a bunch of my cookbooks, but your recipe shone through. Thank you so much!
