Edy’s Rabbit Stew with Polenta

I am sure not all of you are usually eating gamey meat, but this is a delicious recipe where the spiced meat’s delicate flavor is spread on top of polenta with its rich sauce. My mother Edy is the Queen of Rabbit Stew with Polenta, and since Rob loves this dish, she welcomed us preparing it for our first lunch at my parents’ place. Awesome!

I am not a big meat eater; however, I found this recipe extremely interesting and tasty. I asked my mom to cook it a second time to steal a family Venetian and authentic recipe.

Rabbit Meat, a Venetian delicacy

Rabbit is one of the 101 kinds of meat variety that are feed and grown in the Veneto region. Until 40 years ago, rabbit farming was an essential source of income and self-production for farmers. Until today the Veneto region still has the highest percentage of rabbit farms in the world.

In the Veneto region, Rabbit Stew with Polenta is a local regional dish. Every family usually prepare for Sundays’ meal. Rabbit is so popular that you can find it on the menu of many restaurants in the area, from traditional to most refined ones. Apart from the rabbit stew with Polenta, in Veneto, we use Rabbit to prepare ragu’. 

What is Polenta?

Polenta is one of the oldest Italian dishes, and it is made with cornflour. Italian polenta is widely popular in the North, especially in Lombardy, Veneto and Friuli, while it is less prevalent in the south. Since Medieval time, Polenta has been considered one of the main staples. Today, it is a side for several regional dishes. Until 60 years ago it was the essential food for the lower part of the northern Italian population, which could afford to eat just Polenta.

Back in the past, Polenta was prepared by cooking for a long time mixture of water and cornflour, which was usually coarse-grained. The flour is poured like rain into boiling salted water in a copper pot and stirred continuously with a wooden stick for at least an hour. The polenta flour is usually stone-ground more or less finely depending on the tradition of the production region. In the province of Treviso, Belluno and Venice, the Polenta is typically white, while in the rest of Veneto and the other northern Italian region is yellow.

The difference between the white and the yellow Polenta is in the consistency of the grain. While the white one has a more delicate and less grainy consistency, the yellow is thicker and, in my opinion, tastier.

Polenta in Veneto usually is a side for Rabbit Stew, Baccala alla Vicentina, or we make an appetizer with Asiago cheese and mushrooms. 

How to make Polenta

Nowadays preparing Polenta is quicker and easier than in the past. In modern times, Polenta is available at the grocery store as instant Polenta.

To prepare Instant Polenta you need to bring the water to boil, add salt and pour the cornflour like rain. Stir the mixture for 10-15 minutes until the Polenta reaches the desired consistency.

The correct dose for 4 people serving is approximately 1 cup and 3/4 of flour for every 1 liter of water, plus 1 tbsp of salt to be added to the boiling water.

How to Make Rabbit Stew

The preparation of the Rabbit stew is very easy and simple:

– it requires blending together the ingredients for the marinade, which will last around 12 hours.

– Then you will cook the rabbit at low simmer for about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Let’s discover the blend of spices, herbs, and aroma that will help the Rabbit to lose its gamey flavor, returning a rich fall-y twist to the dish.

SPICES 

– Cloves and Cinnamon: they are fantastic to aromatize roast meat and gamey dish. Their aroma brings a pleasant warmth to the plate.

– Salt, Black & Pink Peppercorns: the peppery combination of these 2 peppercorns gives a hint of heat, without overpowering the taste.

AROMA

– Sage: is a great herb to pair with the Rabbit.

– Onion and garlic: they are the essential ingredients in many Italian recipes. They add flavor while removing the gamey aspect.

Start by taking a stew pot and place the Rabbit inside. Add on top all the spices, the onion finely chopped, the garlic cloves peeled and all the spices, add the EVOO and cover it with cling wrap. Let it marinate at room temperature for 12 hours, turning the rabbit upside down after 6 hours.

Once you finish marinating the Rabbit, you can cook it in its marinade for1 hours and 15 minutes at a low simmer. The Rabbit is ready when a thermometer inside the Rabbit’s thickest piece gives you a temperature of 165° F (75° C). Place your Polenta on a serving plate, add on top the meat and serve. Now dig in and enjoy it!

Edy’s Rabbit Stew with Polenta variations

A meat-lover meal, it is a complete meal by itself, and it is gluten-free, with a high content of carbs due to the Polenta, protein, and fat due to the Rabbit.

If you do not like Rabbit, you can sub it with chicken or turkey, following the same procedure.

You can vary the herbs and use rosemary and or parsley. If you like, you could also add more garlic.

Looking for other Italian meat recipes? Try the Veal Piccata, or for a more rich taste the Chicken Cacciatore.

Edy’s Rabbit Stew with Polenta serving suggestions

I recommend serving the Rabbit Stew with Polenta to flavor a real Venetian homecooked meal. The meal is hearty and substantial, that I would start with a lighter appetizer such as some Bruschettas. But being in the Veneto region, maybe you would like to taste some good local salami, that we call soppressa. It is of unparalleled taste as it melts in the mouth.

It is advisable to not refrigerate the Polenta, as it will harden and lose its creaminess. You could eventually freeze the Rabbit. My mom suggests to cook it the day before so that the meat will result tastier and more flavorsome. 

Which wine to pair with Rabbit Stew with Polenta

We paired Rabbit Stew with Polenta with a Pinot Bianco from the Veneto region. 

My parents bought the wine at the Ca’ Biasi vineyard, located on the Breganze hills.

A toasted almond taste characterizes this Pinot Bianco, and it pairs well with the Rabbit.

Due to the volcanic soil of the area, the natural wine acidity and its saltiness convey a pleasant fresh taste that balances the richness of the meal.

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