Grilled rabbit and sausage skewers prepared "Conigilo alla Molisana". (Reuters/Clifford A. Wright photo)
June 09, 2016
By Clifford A. Wright, Zester Daily
Print Recipe
As warm weather tempts Americans to launch our annual outdoor-cooking adventures, most of us are too content with traditional American fare for the grill. Steaks and burgers are fine, but to wow the crowd consider some Italian classics well-suited for the All-American grill, including a rabbit recipe from the region of Molise.
Rabbit has lost some of its mid-century popularity, but it used to be eaten much more by Americans who were of the Greatest Generation, the generation that served in World War II.
Memorial Day is not merely the American holiday that honors the men and women who died in service to their country in the U.S. military. It's popularly thought of as the opening day to the grill season. This year you can try something a bit different than hamburgers.
Here's a recipe from the region of Molise in Italy, which may be familiar to some Italian-Americans.
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It's quite easy and always a surprising hit. I'd serve it with some grilled vegetables and a nice spring salad made with fava beans, asparagus, artichoke, peas and lettuce, for example, simply dressed with a vinaigrette.
Rabbit for coniglio alla molisana. (Reuters/Clifford A. Wright photo)
Rabbit once an American staple The preparation is called coniglio alla Molisana, grilled rabbit and sausage skewers in the style of Molise. There are all kinds of recipes in Italy for rabbit, wild rabbit and hare. In Sicily, they grill wild rabbits with a marinade of olive oil, garlic, vinegar and oregano.
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Grilling suits an Italian classic In central Italy, hare is spit-roasted with olive oil and flavored with bay leaves, parsley and cloves. Sometimes the grilled hare is served with a sauce made from the liver and blood of the hare and chopped onions, stock, wine and lemon juice.
In Sondrio in Lombardy, a preparation called lepre con la crostada is a spit-roasted hare that is then stewed in cream and crushed macaroons. Calabrians like to marinate the hare in vinegar and scallions overnight and then skewer the meat with pancetta and bay leaves before grilling. This is the version popular in Molise.
Grilled rabbit and sausage skewers. (Reuters/Clifford A. Wright photo)
Grilled Rabbit and Sausage Skewers (Coniglio alla Molisana) Prep time: 30 minutes 1 hour 4 servings
Ingredients:
Several handfuls of fresh or dried rosemary, oregano and marjoram twigs 1 rabbit, 3 pounds 1 pound mild Italian sausage, cut into 1-inch pieces 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh rosemary Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste 12 paper-thin slices prosciutto (about 1/4 pound) 12 large fresh sage leaves Four 10-inch wooden skewers Olive oil for basting Directions:
1. Prepare a low charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill for 15 minutes on low. Toss several handfuls of mixed dried or fresh herb twigs onto the fire or use the receptacle for that purpose provided with gas grills.
2. Because there is not an abundance of meat on a rabbit, slice the meat very close to the bone, using a boning and paring knife and trying to keep the pieces as large as possible. (Save the bones for the rabbit stock.) Put the rabbit and sausage pieces in a mixing bowl and toss with the parsley and rosemary, salt and pepper to taste.
3. Lay a piece of rabbit on a section of a paper-thin prosciutto slice and roll up. Skewer the rolled-up rabbit with a sage leaf and a sausage piece, in that order, until all the ingredients are used up.
4. Place the skewers on the grill and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 1 hour. Baste with olive oil during grilling.
Variation: Alternatively, instead of rolling the rabbit pieces in prosciutto, cut the prosciutto into 1/8-inch thick squares of 1 inch and skewer with the rabbit and sausage.
Add a spring salad for a seasonal hit.
(Copyright 2016 Clifford A. Wright via Zester Daily and Reuters Media Express)
