Coniglio alla ligure — rabbit with olives, wine and pine nuts

Pat the rabbit pieces thoroughly dry with paper towels. Remove any visible loose bone fragments left from cutting it into portions. Sprinkle the meat with 4 g salt and all the pepper. Finely chop the onion, thinly slice the garlic and chop all the rosemary needles very finely. Weigh the olives after draining and removing their pits; discard the brine. Have ready a wide, heavy pot or deep skillet about 28–30 cm in diameter with a well-fitting lid.

Heat 20 g olive oil in the pan over medium-high heat. Brown the rabbit in two batches for about 5–6 minutes each, turning the pieces until lightly golden on several sides. Do not crowd them and do not try to cook the meat through at this stage. Transfer the browned pieces to a bowl. Keep all the fat and golden-brown, unburned residue in the pan, along with all the juices collecting in the bowl.

Lower the heat to medium-low. Add the remaining 15 g olive oil, all the onion and the remaining 4 g salt. Stir for about 5 minutes, until the onion softens, then add all the garlic and rosemary for another minute. Return all the rabbit and pour in the juices from the bowl. Add all the red wine, scrape the residue from the bottom and simmer uncovered for about 3 minutes so the liquid starts to reduce. Do not assume such brief cooking removes all the alcohol.

Pour in the initial 200 g water and add the bay leaf. A layer of liquid should be visible on the bottom; do not completely submerge the meat. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover and braise over low heat for about 45–60 minutes, carefully turning the pieces halfway through. If the sauce evaporates too early and begins to stick, add hot water 2–3 tablespoons at a time, using up to the additional 100 g as needed; you do not need to use it all. By the end of this stage, the meat should be almost tender. Keep the cooking gentle, without vigorous bubbling.

Toward the end of braising, put all the pine nuts in a small dry skillet. Heat over medium-low heat for about 1–2 minutes, moving the skillet often, just until lightly golden and nutty-smelling. Immediately transfer to a small bowl, as they darken quickly in the hot skillet. Do not add a separate portion of olive oil and do not toast them until dark brown.

Add all the olives to the rabbit and braise covered for about another 15–20 minutes, until the meat is tender through its full thickness and comes away from the bones easily. If larger pieces still resist, braise them a little longer, keeping a small amount of liquid in the pan. Remove the lid and, if needed, reduce the sauce for about 3–5 minutes so it thickens slightly but stays fluid. Add all the pine nuts for about the last 2 minutes and mix carefully. Remove the bay leaf. Do not pour off the fat and do not strain the sauce; the onion, garlic, rosemary, olives and all the juices are served. The olives are salty, so do not automatically add salt beyond the listed amount.

Divide the rabbit among four plates so each portion has a similar amount of meat. Add all the olives and pine nuts and pour over all the sauce from the pan. Serve immediately, without unlisted sides. The bones are not edible and must be set aside while eating. Cool any leftovers quickly and refrigerate with the sauce in a closed container until the next day at the latest. Reheat gently under a lid with a little water until the meat is hot throughout.