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Rabbit with olives and pine nuts "alla Mugellana"

(Coniglio olive e pinoli alla mugellana)

The back and legs of a rabbit, about 1 kilo in weight
4 cloves of garlic and a bunch of parsley chopped together
100 grams of black roast olives
30 grams of shelled pine nuts
4-5 spoons olive oil
1 stock cube salt and pepper

Cut the rabbit into large pieces (16-18) and put them directly into an oiled oven pan season with salt and pepper spread over with the garlic and parley and crumble over the stock cube, arrange over the top the olives and pine nuts then cover flush with cold water. Put in the oven at not too high a heat 160° and cook for about 40 minutes, until most of the water is reduced and the meat remains a nice nut colour, and in the bottom of the pan there is a thickish sauce in which float the olives and pine nuts. Serve alone very hot.

Tebaldo Lorini, versatile author of "Mugello in cucina" (Mugello in the kitchen) and passionate researcher of "Mugelliane" things, contest the legitimacy of "alla mugellana" in our preparation. In answer to his protest we must say first of all that we learnt this recipe whilst guests of a family in Ronta di Mugello. Furthermore an observation : the name "Mugello" for the high Valdisieve, seems certainly to derive from "Mucelli", an ancient "Ligurian" tribe who were moved to that region under pressure from the Etruscans who were establishing themselves in the valley of the river Arno and its tributaries. Well, (a very superficial but pragmatic consideration) even today isn't it that garlic, parsley, olives and pine nuts are the elements/ingredients which characterise Ligurian cooking ?

A Giuseppe Alessi recipe
Translated by Gianna Toni