Rabbit with Fennel and Pancetta

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 60 minutes plus overnight marinating

Rabbit meat is low fat and has a delicate flavor. Cogniglio con Finocchio e Pancetta, a classic dish from the Marche region in Italy, uses fennel as its partner, which grows wild here. Fennel has a subtle, yet unmistakable anise flavor.

Ingredients

1 rabbit, about 1.5 kg (3 lbs), cut into 6-8 pieces
6 garlic cloves, 3 cloves finely chopped and 3 finely slivered
3 tbsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
6 tbsp olive oil
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 large fennel bulbs (about 500 gr, 1 lbs)
1 cup of water with a slice of lemon to avoid fennel bulb oxidation
1/2 cup chopped fennel fronds
1 large onion, cut into 2.5 cm (1 in) slices
125 gr (1/2 cup) pancetta, or bacon chopped into 1 cm (3/8 in) dices
125 ml (1/2 cup) dry white wine
250 ml (1cup) chicken stock

Preparation:

In a small bowl mix the 3 finely chopped garlic cloves, rosemary leaves, salt and pepper. Add olive oil and make a paste out of it. Rub rabbit pieces all over with the garlic paste. Arrange pieces in a dish, cover it with plastic wrap and leave it overnight in fridge.

Next day, remove rabbit from fridge and set aside while you slice fennel bulbs into 2.5 cm (1 inch) slices. Drop them in lemon water to avoid discoloration. Save green fennel fronds. Chop them coarsely and set aside until ready to use.

Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F).

Slice onion into 2.5cm (1 inch) slices and set aside. Heat 3 tbsp olive oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add the pancetta or bacon and sauté them until nice and crunchy. Remove pancetta to a plate lined with kitchen towels. Set aside. Add rabbit pieces to saucepan and brown them nicely on all sides. Set aside. Add onion to saucepan and sauté for about 5 minutes or until it begins to soften.

In the meantime drain fennel slices from lemon water and dry them on kitchen towels. Add them to the onion, together with the 3 remaining slivered garlic cloves. Continue to sauté for 2-3 minutes longer. Add white wine and chicken stock to saucepan while scraping all brown bits from saucepan bottom. Bring it to a rapid boil and lower the heat. Taste for salt and pepper.

Place rabbit pieces in roasting pan. Scatter pancetta, fennel and onion evenly over the rabbit. Bake for about 40-45 minutes or until fork tender. Transfer rabbit pieces from roasting pan to a platter. Cover it with aluminum foil and keep it warm in the oven. If fennel onion sauce seems too dry, add a bit of water or stock to thin it up. Taste for salt and pepper.

Remove rabbit pieces from oven, arrange it on serving plates and serve it with the fennel sauce on the side. Top it with finely chopped fennel fronds.