Litsa’s Rabbit & Onions (Κουνέλι με Κρεμμύδια)

Litsa’s Rabbit & Onions

Serves 4
Onions’ sweetness and Litsa’s light spicing combine with wine and meat juices to form a wonderfully flavorful sauce for rabbit. Our guests were sucking bones, licking fingers, and cleaning plates with bread to capture every bit of the delicious sauce. If you’re using rabbit from the supermarket, it need not be soaked and seasoned the day before cooking. Season with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and oregano and proceed immediately with cooking the rabbit as described for Day 2. Chicken may be substituted for rabbit.

Day 1, Step 1:
1 quart water
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. salt
1 rabbit, cut into pieces

Day 1, Step 2:
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Dried oregano, crushed

Day 2:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 cups diced onions, 1/2” dice
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 cup dry white wine
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 cups water
3 bay leaves
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed

Day 1, Step 1: Mix together water, vinegar, and salt until salt dissolves, using a bowl large enough to hold rabbit pieces, but small enough that all pieces will be submerged in water. Add rabbit pieces; if they aren’t covered with water, add more. Refrigerate for 2 hours. Drain, discarding water.

Day 1, Step 2: Dry rabbit pieces and season on both sides with salt, freshly ground black pepper, and oregano. Place in covered container and refrigerate.

Day 2: Brown rabbit in olive oil, in batches if necessary to ensure pieces brown and don’t steam. When pieces are browned on both sides, remove to plate. In same oil, sauté onions, lightly seasoned with salt and freshly ground black pepper, until they just start to turn golden. Stir in garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and stir, scraping up any browned bits on pan’s bottom. Cook until wine has reduced by half. Stir in tomato paste and water until well combined. Return rabbit to pan along with bay leaves, nutmeg, allspice, and oregano. Bring liquid to boil, cover, turn down heat to low, and simmer for 60 – 90 minutes, or until rabbit is very tender (cooking time depends on size and age of rabbit).

When rabbit is done, taste sauce and add salt or freshly ground black pepper as needed. If sauce is too thin for your liking, remove cover, turn up heat, and bring sauce to slow boil. Cook sauce down, stirring regularly to prevent burning, until it’s the thickness you desire.