rabbit with herbs

coniglio alle erbe

TOTAL TIME: 1 hour, 30 minutes plus chilling

MAKES: 6 servings

A good butcher here will cut rabbit into pieces for you, or make sure to use a very sharp chef’s knife if cutting it at home.

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Ingredients

1/4 cup almond slivers
1/3 cup finely chopped fresh basil
1/3 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/3 cup fine plain breadcrumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh thyme
2 (2 3/4- to 3-pound) rabbits
Salt
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 medium ripe tomatoes, seeded and cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 medium cucumbers, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼-inch cubes
Fresh marjoram leaves for garnish

Instructions

Heat oven to 275°. Spread almonds on a baking sheet and bake, stirring once or twice, until golden, 5 to 7 minutes. Cool on rack.

Increase oven temperature to 400°. Mix together basil, parsley, breadcrumbs and thyme. Cut each rabbit into roughly 8 equal pieces. Season with salt, place in a large baking dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons oil. Cover rabbit pieces with herb mixture, pressing so that mixture adheres. Roast until golden and cooked through, about 50 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine almonds, tomato, cucumber and remaining 3 tablespoons oil; let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Remove rabbit from oven and let cool to room temperature. To serve, season salad with salt and divide among plates. Top with rabbit and sprinkle with marjoram.

June 2008