RABBIT LIGURIAN STYLE

Ingrediants:
a young rabbit of about one and a half kilograms; 4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, 2 bay leaves, a pinch of thyme, a coarsely chopped onion, half a stalk of celery, a tablespoon of rosemary leaves, 2 tablespoons of pine nuts, 2 walnut kernels, a ladle of broth, (obtained by boiling rabbit scraps, alternatively a vegetable broth will be fine), 25 Taggiasca olives in brine, 2 glasses of Rossese Riviera Di Ponente wine, salt.

Preparation:
After cleaning the rabbit, remove the head and liver and set them aside. Meanwhile, cut the rabbit into pieces, wash it in running water and drain it in a colander. In an earthenware pan, pour the oil and brown the onion, along with the chopped celery, pine nuts, walnut kernels, bay leaves, rosemary and thyme. As soon as they have browned, add the rabbit pieces, season with salt and pour over the Rossese wine. Separately, in a little water, boil the rabbit’s head and the liver; after about half an hour, remove the meat, remove the flesh from the head and shred the liver; add this mince to the rabbit with the broth; while cooking proceeds, wet the pieces from time to time, so that they remain soft, without sticking to the bottom of the pan. When you think you are half cooked, scatter the olives and finish cooking. Serve the rabbit soaked in the cooking sauce and accompany it with the Taggiasca olives.