Roasted Lamb with Potatoes & White Wine (Roman Spring Lamb)

A beautiful dish for Easter, Roasted Spring Lamb with Potatoes & White Wine - good every time! The recipe is adapted from one of our favorite Italian cookbooks, The Silver Spoon. Have you ever cooked lamb before? Have questions? Try our LIVE! online, interactive Cooking Class from our farmhouse/cooking school in Italy on March 16th and make this dish right along with the Chef! (Details Here)

Roman Spring Lamb
Roasted Lamb with Potatoes & White Wine

1 kilo or 2 lb leg of lamb, in pieces (ask the butcher to do this for you)
flour for dusting
2 glugs of olive oil
3 sprigs of rosemary
a small handful of sage leaves
couple of cloves of garlic
glass of white wine
1/3 glass of white wine vinegar (about 5 tablespoons)
4 potatoes, sliced
salt & pepper
2/3 cup water, boiling
optional: 2-3 anchovies (or capers or anchovy paste)

Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C

Dust the pieces of lamb with flour, shake off the excess.

In a heavy bottomed roasting pan, over medium-high heat brown the lamb on all sides in a couple glugs of olive oil, turning frequently (about 10 minutes).

Once browned, season with salt & pepper. Toss in the rosemary, sage & garlic.
Combine in a glass the wine & vinegar, then add to the roasting pan. Reduce until almost all the liquid has evaporated, turning the lamb frequently.

Once the pan is almost dry, add the boiling water. Then top with the slices of potatoes (its OK not to cover the entire dish) and roast in the oven for 30-45 minutes until tender WITH a foil lid.

If it seems to be drying out - add in a little hot water mixed with a dash of white wine.

For something truly authentic, 10 minutes before the lamb is ready smush 2-3 anchovy filets in a bowl with a little of the pan juices/sauces and pour over the entire lamb/potato dish and return to oven to finish cooking for another 5-10 minutes.

Check your seasonings.
To Serve: pick out the stems of herbs and transfer the meat to a warm serving dish and spoon the pan sauces/gravy over the top with the potatoes.

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin

We affectionately call this dish 'pork wrapped pork'!  Prosciutto wrapped pork tenderloin with sage is a savory secondo we serve year-round and often on the menu for our cooking classes. Serve it on a bed of grilled radicchio with cherry tomatoes and balsamic for a perfect balance of flavors! 

Prosciutto Wrapped Pork Tenderloin
Serves 4

1 tenderloin of pork
5-8 slices of prosciutto (depending on how big your tenderloin is)
handful of sage leaves
a few cherry tomatoes
clove of garlic
a few Tablespoons of white wine
salt & pepper

The Rolling:

1. Remove the "silver skin" from the pork tenderloin and season generously with salt and pepper.

2. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap about 6 inches longer than the tenderloin.  Lay prosciutto down the middle vertically, slightly overlapping the edges to fit the length of the tenderloin.

3. Lay sage leaves down the center of the prosciutto, slightly overlapping.

4. Place the pork ontop of the sage. 

5. Now roll it up! Using the plastic wrap, roll the prosciutto tightly around the pork tenderloin - just like sushi. It is very important to roll tightly. If there is slack it will open as it cooks.

6. Tuck the bottom piece of plastic under the top. Turn both ends to tighten even moreso and secure.

photo from our cooking classes at La Tavola Marche

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 205 C/ 400 F

Remove the tenderloin from the plastic. 

 With a little olive oil in the pan, heat until nice and hot. Sear on all sides * starting with the seam side DOWN.  Note: Be gentle and careful not to break/tear the prosciutto as you sear it.

Once seared on all sides, toss in 3 or so cherry tomatoes into the pan with a clove of garlic and the white wine. 

Finish cooking in the oven 18-30 minutes depending on the size of your pork tenderloin.

Remove and allow to rest at least 15 minutes before slicing. 

Wine: Pairs perfectly with a bold red wine from Le Marche like Terracruda's Profundo.

Peposo: Peppered Lamb Stew in Red Wine, Slow Cooked in a Wood Oven

A proper Sunday night stew, rich peppery Peposo. An Italian dish, peposo translates to "peppered" and can be made with any type of tough-cut meat with a bone. In this recipe we use leg of lamb cut into thick steaks but you could also use pork shoulder, beef or venison.  It's really all about low and slow. Jason says "I like to cook this dish the night after pizza night (or when the wood burning oven has been used). I wait until the oven cools down putting the pot in and piling all the ash up and around it. It will softly cook all night long and the next morning it's ready to go!" 

You don't need a wood burning oven to make this dish. Simply put it in a slow oven at about 225 F or 105 C for about 8 hours or so - until the meat falls off the bone.

  Perfect served piled high on a buschetta or over soft polenta or mashed potates on a cold winters night - really stick to your ribs!!

Peposo
Peppered Lamb Stew

2 kilo/4.5 lb leg of lamb, cut into thick steaks with bone-in
20 garlic cloves, peeled
4 heaping tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 bottle of red wine
2 bay leaves
3-4 juniper berries, crushed
drizzle of olive oil

Preheat the oven to 225 F or 105 C  degrees.

In a heavy pot (just big enough to hold all the ingredients), drizzle olive oil and place a layer of the sliced meat at the bottom of the pan. Cover with a few cloves of garlic, sprinkle with pepper & salt and rosemary. Repeat starting with the meat & keep layering until they are all used up & the pot is almost full.

Pour wine over the top and add bay leaves & juniper. Top off with a touch of water if necessary to cover everything.

Slowly bring to just to boil, cover tightly with lid & place in the preheated oven for about 8 hours or until tender & falling apart. [If you want to cook the stew faster, raise the temp to about 300 degrees and cook for 4-6 hours. However it will be richer the slower you cook it. ]

Once the stew is done, skim off fat from the surface & remove the bones, the bay leaves & rosemary twigs.  The meat should be super soft & juicy with a rich & powerful flavor. Taste & season if it needs it. Breakup the pieces of meat. Serve a ladleful of stew on toasted bruschetta & a drizzle of olive oil or serve with polenta or mashed potatoes.

Classic Italian Ragu: Age-old, Tried & True

Classic Italian Ragu, everyone has their favorite, a family recipe passed down scribbled on scratch paper. "No one made it like Grandma" - well until now! Here's our classic ragu (meat & tomato) sauce that is easy & delicious, perfect for spaghetti, lasagna, tagliatelle .... the list goes on!

Ragu

1 small carrot, finely diced
1 med onion, finely diced
1 rib of celery, finely diced
1 clove of garlic
quarter pound of sausage meat
half pound ground veal
1.5 pounds peeled, seeded, pureed fresh tomatoes or 1 large can of peeled tomatoes
olive oil
salt & pepper

In a pot add a couple glugs of olive oil & sauté clove of garlic until brown then discard.

On medium heat sauté veggies slowly for about 10 minutes - so they are not brown but translucent. Raise the heat slightly & add in meat - breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon.  Season with salt & pepper.

Add tomatoes & half a glass of water. Bring up to boil.  Lower to a very low simmer for 2.5 hours stirring occasionally.

Toss pasta with a few ladlefuls of sauce  (just enough to coat) and a ladleful of pasta water as well. You can finish with a dollop of sauce ontop if you like. Serve with fresh grated Parmesan or Aged Pecorino.

Veal Scallopini with Lemon & Parsley

There are endless recipes for scallopini but my favorite is a classic 5-minute lemon & parsley pan sauce.  Scallopini  refers to meat that has been pounded thin & coated with flour. You can use veal, chicken, turkey or pork loin and in about 5 minutes make scallopini with capers or porcini mushrooms or marsala or olives & tomatoes or green pepper corns, the list goes on!

Adjust it with the seasons - light & fresh in the summer with lemon & parsley or porcini mushrooms in the fall for a heartier dish. Thinly sliced veal can be bought at any market, let your butcher know what your making so they can make the proper cut.

Two to three slices of melt in your mouth veal in the pan with a little salad or roasted potatoes with rosemary can be a fabulous quick dinner any night of the week!

Veal in the Pan with Lemon
Scallopini di Vitello al Limone

Serves 4

4 slices of veal, pounded thin
flour
pad or 2 of butter
2 tablespoons of lemon juice
olive oil
chopped parsley
2-3 tablespoons of water
salt & pepper

On medium-high heat, add a pad butter & a bit of oil to the pan. 

Dredge veal in flour, shaking off the excess & add to the pan. After a minute or so, as the blood comes to the surface of the meat, it’s time to turn it over. Then let it cook a minute or so on the other side & it’s done. Sprinkle with salt & pepper.  Set aside on a warm platter.

Turn the heat down to low. Add juice of one lemon & the water.  Reduce by half.  Remove pan from heat.  Add in parsley & dot the pan with the remaining butter.  Swirl until butter is melted and check the seasoning. Top the meat with the pan sauce.  Serve immediately.

Grilled Rosemary Skewers of Steak Wrapped-In Pancetta and Sausage {Spiedini}

  Nothing says summer like a barbecue on a hot summer night! Fragrant rosemary skewers packed with filets of steak wrapped in thinly sliced pancetta and fresh sausages grilled over an open fire...my oh my! This is a barbecue Italian-style with spiedini or skewers with anything from fish to meat and/or vegetables. Tonight at the farmhouse it's grilled meat spiedini all the way, with grilled polenta & a garden salad. 

On those balmy nights when barbecuing is best, I love it because you're outside standing by the grill and not instead sweating over a hot stove!

Grilled Rosemary Skewers of Steak Wrapped-In Pancetta and Sausage

Spiedini

Meat: steak wrapped with pancetta (or bacon) , sausages on skewers, you can substitute pork, lamb, shrimp - any cut of your choice for grilling.
Garlic
chili flakes
zest of 1/2 lemon
coarse sea salt
herbs of your choice (with pork, veal & sausage sage compliments nicely)
skewers: rosemary branches, long woody pieces, if you can’t find that use wooden or stainless steel sticks
olive oil

In a mortar & pestle add garlic, chili flakes, zest of 1/2 lemon, coarse sea salt, herbs and mash together with enough olive oil to make a paste. Quarter sausages and set aside as they have already been seasoned.  Cut steak into chunks slightly larger than the sausages and toss with the herb paste and wrap with a slice of the pancetta.  Fill your skewers alternating steak and sausage. Grill!

Please note: if you are using beef, you want it to finish cooking at medium rare and your pork fully cooked. In this case cut the beef slightly larger than the sausages. Adjust your sizes/cuts to allow for proper cooking time.

PHOTOS by LickMySpoon.com - They Rock!!

The Butcher's Favorite: Bone-In Braised Veal Breast

photo by Melissa Ruttanai at Worldwinder

 Literally a one pot dinner - thinly sliced roasted veal breast with layers of tomatoes & potatoes makes for a rich delicious meal that is easy to make.  A classic example of cucina povera, peasant cooking using a tough piece of meat & simple ingredients to create rich dish fit for a king. (You can use slices of veal breast or other tough cuts of steaks or leg of lamb - anything tough with a bone it in.) Our butcher Beppe taught this recipe to Jason years ago & he's been sharing it with our students & guests ever since.

Featured in September 2011 Taste Italia Magazine

photo by Melissa Ruttanai at Worldwinder

Braised Bone-In Veal Breast with Tomatoes & Potatoes

Puntine di Vitello

Serves 4

4 slices of veal breast or tough cut of steak, bone in
3 tomatoes, sliced
4-5 garlic cloves, rough chop
small handful of herbs (we use rosemary & thyme)
glass of white wine
2-3 potatoes, peeled & thinly sliced (about 1/8 inch)
olive oil
salt & pepper

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F

In a roasting pan, add a healthy drizzle of olive oil. Lay down in a single layer the sliced veal. Season generously with salt & pepper.
Next lay tomato slices to form a layer. Sprinkle garlic, herbs & a little more salt & pepper. Pour your glass of white wine over the top. Final layer will be your potatoes. Top with a generous drizzle of olive oil and salt & pepper.
Cover with foil or parchment.

Place in oven for about an hour until you can easily slide a knife into the potatoes. Then uncover & turn up the heat to 375 F and bake until your potatoes are browned.
If after 15-20 minutes you do not have a nice color on your potatoes, turn on the broiler for 5 minutes to add color.

Serve.

photo by Melissa Ruttanai at Worldwinder

Photos compliments of Melissa Ruttanai, Worldwinder during her stay at La Tavola Marche

Peposo - Slow Cooked, Peppery Veal Stew

Originally from Tuscany, Peposo is a meaty, peppery, spicy stew that is slow food at its best.

 As with most recipes in Italy, the ingredients vary town to town. In our area of Le Marche we use wine & juniper berries creating a rich bold flavor without using tomatoes. Serve as a stew or pile-on the tender meat onto toasty bruschetta.

Peposo

5 1/2 lbs. of shank on the bone (veal, lamb or pork)
20 garlic cloves, peeled
4 heaping tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
sea salt
5 sprigs of fresh rosemary
couple of juniper berries
2 bottles of Chianti or other red wine
2 bay leaves

Slice your meat into chunky slabs & get it all off the bone (save the bone for later).  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a large pan, big enough to hold all the ingredients, place a layer of the sliced meat at the bottom of the pan, cover with a few cloves of garlic, sprinkle with pepper & salt and rosemary. Repeat starting with the meat & keep layering until the pot is almost full.

Pour wine over the top to cover, add the bone & the bay leaves.

Bring to a boil, cover tightly with a layer of foil & the pot lid, place in the preheated oven for 6 hours or until tender.  If you want to cook the stew overnight (as many Italians do), lower the temp to 275F and cook for 8 hours or more, until the meat is moist & tender, falling apart.  Make sure the foil is well sealed to keep all the moisture in.

Once the stew is done, remove the foil, skim off fat from the surface and remove the bone, the bay leaves & rosemary twigs.  The meat should be super soft & juicy with a rich & powerful flavor. Taste & season if it needs it. Breakup the pieces of meat. Serve a ladleful of stew on toasted bruschetta & a drizzle of olive oil or serve with potatoes or kale.

Braised Lamb Shanks

“I love braising meat" says Jason with a smile, "you take a tough cut, slow cook it & it turns into a wonderfully delicious hearty comfort food. You can make this dish with lamb or pork shank. I like to do this for a dinner party, it can be done in advanced & re-heated that day. Everyone loves braised meat - don’t you?!”

This dish will make your kitchen smell amazing as the lamb slow cooks in your oven. It is classic comfort food, perfect for dinner on a cold Sunday. The meat can be pulled off the bone to use in a variety of left-overs.

Braised Lamb Shank

Stinco d' Agnello

4 nice lamb shanks
1 carrot
1 medium onion
1 stick of celery
2 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of tomato paste
1/2 cup red or white wine
1/2 cup chicken stock
aromatics as you like - rosemary, thyme, etc.
salt & pepper
olive oil


Preheat oven to 300 degrees F / 150 degrees C
Cover a heavy bottomed casserole pot (with a lid) with olive oil (about 4 tablespoons).
Dice your carrots, celery, onion & garlic - then saute slowly for 10-15 minutes.
Generously salt & pepper your lamb shanks,
When the vegetables are cooked & beginning to color, turn the heat up & add the meat to the cooking vegetables.
Turn the shanks frequently so they brown on all sides.
Once the lamb shanks have a browned nicely, add your wine & tomato concentrate & reduce by half. Scrap all the tasty bits from the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon as the wine reduces.
Add your aromatics & chicken stock, bring up to a boil.
Slap the lid on & throw it in oven for about 2.5 - 3.5 hours, turning the shanks every half hour or so until the meat is so tender it wants to fall off the bone.

Serve with the cooking liquid (juices left over in the pot) over mashed potatoes, polenta, etc.

Osso Buco - Eat this Immediately

 Osso buco, now here's a great winters dish that is so simple to make.

Most have heard of osso buco, but what is it? What literally translates as 'bone's hole' is simply an inch & a half slab of veal shank. There is a good amount of tough meat surrounding a large flat piece of bone with ample amount of rich marrow in the center. When cooked the marrow melts into the sauce leaving an open whole in the center, thus the name osso buco.

Try this on a cold sunday evening laddled into a bowl of wet polenta to soak up the rich sauce. Its a good stewy dish!

There are a hundred different variations of osso bucco, mostly braised. This one we did simply with the tomatoes we jarred over the summer.

OSSO BUCO

4 pieces of osso buco (veal shank)

a nice size carrot, chopped finely

nice onion, chopped finely

couple cloves of garlic, smashed & remove the skin

bay leaf

any aromatics you like - rosemary, we used juniper berries because we have them in the woods

a little flour for dusting

salt & pepper

a good handful (about 5 oz.) of canned tomatoes, skins removed or fresh tomatotes with skins & seeds removed

olive oil

butter

white wine (couple of glugs)

half a cup of water or stock

Salt & pepper the osso buco & then dredge in the flour

In a good size casserole or roasting pan, on med-high heat, add a glug or 2 of olive oil & a pad of butter.

Sauté the osso buco for 2 minutes on each side.

Then add the vegetables & continue cooking the osso buco, turning frequently until it is nice & colored

Add the white wine cook until the wine is reduced by 2/3

Add the tomatoes, aromatics, crack of pepper & salt, water or stock & bring up to a simmer.

Remove from stove & place in a 350 degree oven, uncovered for about an hour & half or until the centers of the bone have melted away & the meat is falling away from the bone

If you need to add a little more water or stock towards the end, do so

Serve over polenta, potatoes or rice to soak up the juices.

This is one of my favorite dishes because it really resonates with the simplicity of cucina povera.

Spezzatino (Stewed Pork)

There is nothing better on a cool autumn Sunday evening than walking into the kitchen, welcomed by the glow of the fireplace and the rich smells of meaty goodness: a pot slowly simmering on the back burner with stewed meat, falling apart ready to top thick golden polenta. This is a "stick to your ribs" hearty dinner perfect for the fall & winter.

photo: iocomesono-pippi.blogspot.com

Spezzatino

Stewed Pork

1 lb of beef or pork for stew (or a mix of both)
1 carrot, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
1 celery stalk, diced
handful of olives
2-3 spoonfuls of capers, drained
1/2 glass of white wine
salt & pepper
flour for dusting
olive oil
squeeze of lemon juice
aromatics/herbs - thyme, sage, rosemary
stock, enough to cover the meat
optional: mushrooms

Dredge meat in flour.
In a heavy bottomed pot on medium/high heat, brown meat on all sides.
Remove meat from the pan.
Reduce heat to low, add in vegetables and sauté for 10 minutes.
Add meat back to the pot (as well as the optional mushrooms) with your aromatics.
Deglaze with white wine and lemon juice.
Cover meat with stock.
Toss in capers & olives.
Simmer very slowly for 1.5 - 2 hours until meat is very tender.

Serve over polenta or boiled potatoes.

Attention Bacon Lovers: Italian Cured Pig's Cheek

Cured pig's cheek or guanciale di maiale (literally translates to cheek of the pig) is hands-down the BEST bacon Jason & I have ever eaten - and have yet to find someone who disagrees once they taste it's porky goodness! I know it sounds a bit weird to some to eat or order cheek - but trust me - just go with it - especially if you are in Italy. In our neck of the woods in Le Marche, it is served at home and commonly found on the menus of rustic traditional osteria's, family run restaurants just like our farmhouse, as an antipasta atop crostini. The recipe below calls for red wine vinegar which perfectly cuts the fat and combined with the sage makes for a rich meaty buttery deliciousness with a kick!

Bacon lovin' seems to run in the family - after 6 months of living in Italy, my sister Meagan returned to the States with only 2 things Italian: a new pair of shoes & a huge cured pig's cheek! Our good friend Fusciani proudly presented her with a home-cured cheek, proclaiming "my gift to America!"

America's gift from Italy

Recipe for Cured Pig's Cheek Guanciale di Maiale

cured pig’s cheek (guanciale di maiale)
fresh sage leaves, few handfuls
olive oil
garlic cloves
red wine vinegar

Slice cured pig's cheek very thinly or ask your butcher.
In a frying pan, on medium heat add 2 glugs of olive oil, garlic cloves & sage leaves, add pig's cheek.

Cook for approximately 30 seconds - 1 minute on each side, until changes color to a nice golden brown, but not burned.
Blot with a paper towel.

Lightly sprinkle with red wine vinegar.
Serve immediately with the sage.

Pair best with crusty bread to soak up the juices or better yet blow your diet and serve for breakfast with eggs & toast!

Jason showing a guest how to slice prosciutto & guanciale paper thin

Lasagna

Lasagna ahhh, a classic meaty cheesy mess. But it doesn't always have to be - This recipe however is one of my favorites & not that cheesy Italian restaurant cliche'. The key is to use fresh pasta in this recipe - for a lasagna that is light & delicate. If possible use your own tomatoes, we use jarred tomatoes from the garden - you just can't get that kinda flavor from a store bought jar.

Lasagna

Ragu (see recipe)
Bechamel
Parmesan cheese
4 sheets of pasta to cover your dish

In your casserole dish ladle a little of the ragu.

In plenty of boiling salted water, cook your pasta until a bit further than al dente. Cook only 1 -2 sheets at a time (otherwise they will stick & it will be a mess)

Lay down the sheet of pasta in your dish, ok if it comes up over the edge of the dish (that will make for the good crunch bits!)

Add a ladle of ragu - cover completely but don’t over do it - less is more.

Dot bechamel.

Now a generous sprinkle of Parmesan cheese.

Repeat these steps ending with sauce on the top layer of the pasta

Bake at 375/190 C oven for 15-20 minutes until the top is brown & bubbly!

Classic Italian Ragu

Everyone has gotta have one - here is our classic ragu (meat & tomato) sauce. Perfect for spaghetti, lasagna, tagliatelle .... the list goes on!

Ragu

1 small carrot, finely diced
1 med onion, finely diced
1 rib of celery, finely diced
1 clove of garlic
quarter pound of sausage meat
half pound ground veal
1.5 pounds peeled, seeded, pureed fresh tomatoes or 1 large can of peeled tomatoes
olive oil
salt & pepper

In a pot add a couple glugs of olive oil & sauté clove of garlic until brown then discard.

On med heat sauté veggies slowly for about 10 minutes - so they are not brown but translucent.

Raise the heat slightly & add in meat - breaking up the pieces with a wooden spoon.

Season with salt & pepper.

Add tomatoes & half a glass of water.

Bring up to boil.

Lower to a very low simmer for 2.5 hours stirring occasionally.

Toss with your favorite pasta.

If sauce becomes too thick, add a little pasta water.

Lesso con Salsa Verde - Poached Beef with Green Sauce

Lesso di vitello con salsa verde

Poached beef with green sauce

A quick note about lesso or boiled/poached meat: you can make a lesso of anything - fish, chicken, beef even potatoes. A great secondo for a hot day - as you can make it far ahead of time & then there is no need to turn on your stove in the heat of the day!

Meat
serves 4

little over a lb. of a tough roast: rump roast, eye round or chuck roast will work well
enough broth to cover
1 carrots,
1 rib of celery
half an onion
1 bay leaf
1 leek
couple of sprigs of parsley

In a large pot, bring your broth to a boil. Drop in your aromatics (herbs & veggies) and return the pot to a boil.

Gently add your meat to the broth & veggies. Allow pot to return to a boil.

Lower to simmer for 2 - 4 hours until meat is extremely tender.

Remove meat & place in the fridge to cool.

Broth can be strained & saved to be served as a soup or another dish. Freezes very well.

Salsa Verde

2 handfuls of parsley (stems removed), chopped
2 cloves of garlic, skins removed, smashed
1 tablespoons of capers, chopped
4 filets of anchovies, chopped
pepper flakes as desired
2 - 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil

In a small sauce pan add a couple tablespoons of the oil, on a low heat fry the garlic.

When outside of garlic turns golden brown add capers & anchovies & pepper flakes. Pulverize into a paste with the back of a wooden spoon.

Remove pan from heat. Add vinegar & parsley incorporating into the mixture.

Once mixture has had a chance to cool down for a minute, slowly stir in the rest of the olive oil and adjust the seasoning.

Allow salsa mix to sit out & rest for at least 30 minutes for the flavors to incorporate

Meanwhile -
Remove the meat from the fridge. Slice thinly against the grain. Lay meat on a plate in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt & top with salsa verde.

Allow for the finished dish to sit for 15-minutes or so once topped. It can be done far ahead in advance & refrigerator - but remember to pull it out of the fridge early so the oil comes back up to room temperature & is not congealed.

Serve a bed of salad underneath the lesso.

Rabbit Hunter's Style ~ Coniglio alla Cacciatore

Coniglio alla Cacciatora (Rabbit in the style of the Hunter) - Version 1

Rabbit 3-3.5 lbs

1/2 cup olive oil

2 cloves garlic

2-3 sprigs of sage

salt & pepper

2 cups wine vinegar

3 anchovy fillets, finely chopped

2-3 tablespoons capers

Clean the rabbit & cut into serving pieces. Wash is carefully & wipe dry.

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan & sauté the rabbit pieces with garlic & sage until brown all over. Sprinkle with salt & pepper to taste. Dilute the vinegar with an equal amount of water & pour half of it into the pan.

Cover, lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes, adding most of the remaining vinegar, a little at a time, as the rabbit dries out.

When the rabbit is tender, transfer the pieces to a deep heated serving dish. Keep hot. Discard the garlic cloves. Stir the anchovies and capers into the sauces, and continue cooking & stirring until the anchovies are reduced to a paste.

Bring to a simmer and stir over a moderate heat until the sauces has thickened. Pour over the rabbit & serve immediately.

NOTE: Best served with roasted potatoes - patate al forno!