Wild rabbit with olives and vegetable garnish

In recent years, field rabbit with olives has frequently made its way to our table, especially during family gatherings. For New Year's Eve, I prepared this roast, and the preparations started a week in advance when I marinated the meat. It required a bit of organization, but in the end, everything went smoothly. A portion of the time is simply waiting; there’s not much active work involved.

Quick Info

Total time: 2 days (including marination; active work approximately 1 hour)
Preparation time: 20 minutes (plus marination 1 day)
Cooking time: 1.5-2 hours, depending on the meat and the thickness of the pieces
Servings: 4
Difficulty: medium
Recipe type: festive roast, field rabbit

Ingredients

For the marinade:
1 liter red wine
2 carrots
1 celery root
3 onions
3-4 bay leaves
thyme
salt, pepper

For the roast:
1/2 field rabbit, cleaned and cut into smaller pieces
4-5 large onions
150 g olives
500 ml white wine
100 ml oil

For the side dish:
frozen vegetables of choice (e.g., peas, carrots, green beans)
3 tablespoons oil
salt, pepper

Preparation Method

1. Preparing the marinade
The cleaned rabbit meat, cut into suitable pieces, is seasoned with salt and pepper directly, then set aside while preparing the marinade liquid. The red wine is brought to a boil with the cleaned and roughly chopped carrots and celery, the whole or thickly sliced onions, bay leaves, a bit of thyme, salt, and pepper to taste. It is simmered on low heat for about 15 minutes until the flavors from the vegetables and spices are released. Once the mixture cools completely, it is poured over the rabbit meat, covered, and refrigerated (either in the fridge or a cool room). The meat should marinate for at least 24 hours.

2. Draining and preparing the meat
After a minimum of one day in the marinade, the meat is removed and quickly rinsed with cold water to eliminate excess salt and spices from the surface. It is left to drain in a colander or on paper towels. At this stage, a few vegetables from the marinade (carrots, a bit of celery) are selected to be added later during cooking.

3. Sautéing and roasting
The onions are peeled and sliced into julienne or rings. In a large pot, the oil is heated. The rabbit pieces are quickly browned on all sides over high heat until lightly golden. All the sliced onions are added, stirring occasionally. The heat is reduced, and the mixture is left to cook until the onions are well softened. If the onions release too much liquid, let it reduce almost completely.

4. Deglazing with wine and simmering
When the onions have melted and begin to stick, pour the 500 ml of white wine over the meat. Lower the heat and cover. Let it simmer on low heat until the meat is nearly cooked and the onions are completely soft. The time will depend on how young the rabbit was, but it may take over an hour.

5. Adding the marinated vegetables and olives
When the meat is nearly cooked, add the pieces of carrots and celery used in the marinade (previously rinsed with cold water) to the pot. Allow it to simmer for a few more minutes, then add the olives, rinsed and briefly blanched beforehand to avoid being too salty or bitter. Continue simmering briefly, just enough to heat the olives and blend the flavors.

6. Vegetable side dish
The frozen vegetables are sautéed in 3 tablespoons of oil, seasoned with salt and pepper, over medium heat for about 15 minutes until cooked but still slightly crunchy.

Why I make this recipe often

It’s practical for holidays or when I have fresh field rabbit. The meat marinates well, and the flavor is easy to customize. It pairs nicely with simple vegetables as a side dish and doesn’t require complicated techniques.

Tips and Variations

Tips
Use a young field rabbit if possible for shorter cooking times.
If you don’t have dry red wine for the marinade, avoid using sweet wine. The white wine for the sauce can be a table wine; there’s no need for something expensive.
If the sauce reduces too much after the first boil with the white wine, add a bit of water.
Substitutions
You can use domestic rabbit if field rabbit is unavailable, but the final flavor will be slightly different.
Olives can be green or black, as you prefer, but they should be rinsed and possibly blanched separately to avoid overpowering the dish with brine flavor.
White wine can be replaced with a splash of vegetable broth if you want to avoid alcohol entirely, although the flavor will differ.
Variations
If you don’t have frozen vegetables, use whatever you have on hand (zucchini, bell peppers, green beans, fresh carrots).
You can add a bit of tomato paste while cooking the meat if you want a thicker sauce, but it wasn’t necessary in this recipe.
Serving Ideas
The roast goes well with a simple vegetable side or soft polenta. It can also be served with mashed potatoes if you prefer something more substantial.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can I do if the rabbit is too tough?
If you find that the meat isn't tender after an hour, continue simmering on very low heat and possibly add a little water or broth if needed. Some field rabbits can be tougher.

Can I use another type of meat?
The recipe also works with chicken or even turkey, but the flavor will be different. For game, the marination process is important.

Why should olives be rinsed and blanched?
Olives can be very salty or bitter. Rinsing and briefly blanching removes excess flavor and doesn’t overpower the final sauce.

What kind of white wine is suitable?
A dry or semi-dry table white wine. There’s no point in using something expensive for cooking.

Can I use other vegetables for the side dish?
Yes, any mix of vegetables you have in the freezer or fresh. It’s important that they are not too watery, so they don’t make everything soggy when served.

Nutritional Values

Estimated per serving (from 4): approximately 300-350 kcal. Rabbit meat is lean, with over 25g of protein per serving, fats under 15g (including oil), and carbohydrates from vegetables under 15g. Values are approximate and depend on the type of rabbit, the amount of sauce, and the vegetables used.

Storage and Reheating

The roast can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days in a covered dish. The sauce with olives gains flavor if left overnight. It can be reheated on low heat with a little water added if it has thickened too much. The vegetable side is best fresh but can be reheated separately in a pan. Freezing is not recommended, especially due to the vegetables and olives, which become mushy.

 Ingredients: 1/2 rabbit Bait: 1 l red wine 2 carrots 1 celery 3 onions 3-4 bay leaves thyme salt, pepper Preparing the rabbit 4-5 large onions 150 g olives 500 ml white wine 100 ml oil Side dish: frozen vegetables 3 tablespoons oil

 Tags:  rabbit with olives