LIVE from ITALY - Online Cooking Classes
Sunday, February 16, 2014

This week La Tavola Marche’s LIVE Online Cooking Class again asks students/viewers to cook outside the box with Braised Rabbit Hunter’s Style and Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary. (Chicken can be easily substituted for rabbit, if you prefer.) Coniglio alla Cacciatore, or Rabbit in the Style of the Hunter, is a famous dish whose recipe varies widely throughout the boot. Most Americans associate ‘cacciatore' (which literally means 'hunter') as a dish with a tomato base - well, not this version! You've trusted us with chicken livers and whole fish, so now give this a try too!

Ever wonder why roasted potatoes taste so much better in Italy?! Well, it could be a few reasons. First the potatoes are golden and buttery to begin with (and homegrown at a farm), and secondly because they are made with with a two-step roasting process. This two part cooking process uses two different temperatures to achieve the desired flavor and look of the potatoes.

While the potatoes are roasting, Chef Jason will discuss and answer your questions on knives: maintenance, pricing/purchasing recommendations, and care, including a demo on sharpening.

About the Class

LIVE from ITALY: Online Cooking Class on Sunday, 16 February 2014
Braised Rabbit or Chicken in the Style of the Hunter
Roasted Potatoes with Rosemary
Knife Care 101: Maintenance, care and sharpening.

Early Broadcast: 1pm EST / 10am PST
Late Broadcast: 4pm EST / 1pm PST
(The class will last about an hour in duration. The class is recorded and you will receive a password protected link a day after broadcast to access the video.)
Price: $5
*To register, email: info[at]latavolamarche.com

For more details, upcoming class & menus: http://livefromitalyonline.tumblr.com/
Hope you join us in the kitchen on Sunday! Here's a taste...

Recipe: Braised Rabbit Hunter's Style "alla Cacciatore"

In Italian, 'alla cacciatore' just means 'of the hunter', and since not all hunters are the same, neither are the 'alla cacciatore' recipes!

Rabbit (or coniglio) can be found in butchers & markets throughout Italy. It's savory, inexpensive, and perfect for cooking alla cacciatora!  Rabbit is an incredibly lean white meat, so you must be careful not to dry it out since there is so little fat. In this recipe, we braise it in diluted vinegar (acid) which breaks down the meat - leaving it tender, juicy and oh sooo succulent!  
 
Coniglio (rabbit) is on many many Italian menus all across the country - roasted, stewed, in sauces, and even in the style of porchetta. Give it a try, it's absolutely delicious - especially with a side of roasted potatoes with rosemary!!

Braised Rabbit (or Chicken) in the Style of the Hunter
Coniglio alla Cacciatore

Note: Chicken can be easily substituted

Serves 4

1 rabbit or chicken cut in pieces (chicken will take longer to cook)
4-5 cloves of garlic whole, peeled
2-4  anchovy fillets
spoonful of capers
small handful of sage
olive oil
white wine vinegar
water
salt/ pepper
pinch of chopped parsley

If using rabbit, soak in cold water for a couple of hours to extract any blood. Change the water once during this process.

Clean and pat dry rabbit/chicken, and then season with salt and pepper. In a heavy bottom pan over medium high heat, sear rabbit/chicken in a few glugs of olive oil. About halfway through the searing process once you have turned all the meat over, add in your sage and garlic.   

In a glass, combine 1/2 cup white wine vinegar with 1/2 cup water. Once the meat is seared, turn down the heat and add vinegar mixture to the pan. Cover the pan with a parchment paper lid (allowing some of the liquid to cook out) and braise slowly, 30 to 50 minutes depending on the size of rabbit/chicken pieces. Give everything a turn every 10 minutes or so. Be sure to control pan heat and continue to add vinegar and water in a 1:1 ratio as needed to keep the pan from going dry.  

Once the meat is tender, transfer to a warm serving plate. Remove garlic cloves from the pan and discard (or just mush them into the pan sauce if you like). Chop anchovy and dissolve into the pan and finally in go the capers and parsley. Check seasoning and pour over warm meat with a drizzle of good olive oil. Serve.

(Pairs perfectly with roasted potatoes)