Whole Roasted Rabbit With Guanciale, Wilted Greens and Pan Drippings

By Gabrielle Hamilton

Whole Roasted Rabbit With Guanciale, Wilted Greens and Pan Drippings
Marcus Nilsson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Gozde Eker.
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(42)
Notes
Read community notes

Rabbits are so lean on their own that they benefit from some added fat — in this case, a few strips of guanciale, the compellingly flavorful cured pork jowl from Italy. Once the pan juices from the roasted rabbit have commingled with the fat from the guanciale and the bitter water released from the Treviso, you have a perfect, craveable balance on the plate, in every forkful.

Featured in: The Old-School Dinner Party

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Ingredients

Yield:8 servings
  • 2whole rabbits
  • Kosher salt
  • Freshly ground black pepper
  • 2bunches watercress
  • 1bunch dandelion greens
  • 2heads Treviso
  • ½pound guanciale, sliced thin
  • ½cup dry white wine
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

  2. Step 2

    Season rabbits on all sides and inside the cavity with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.

  3. Step 3

    Trim the watercress and dandelion greens, removing the woodiest stems. Cut the Treviso into halves the long way, then cut each half into thirds, and trim away any especially tough white stalky interior core.

  4. Step 4

    Lay sliced guanciale on a sheet pan large enough to hold the rabbits. (You can use 2 separate pans if necessary.) Scatter the dandelion greens, watercress and Treviso on top of the guanciale, and then place the rabbit on top, back side facing up. Drizzle the rabbit and greens with the wine and extra-virgin olive oil.

  5. Step 5

    Roast rabbits for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, check rabbits, and rotate the pans to ensure that they are cooking and browning evenly. Return to the oven to continue roasting until rabbit legs are just cooked through, about 15 more minutes.

  6. Step 6

    Let rabbit rest for 10 minutes, then cut into 8 pieces each; two hindquarters, two forequarters and four loin pieces. Transfer the guanciale and greens to a serving platter. Place the rabbit pieces on top and drizzle with the pan-drippings left on the sheet tray and a healthy drizzle of olive oil.

Ratings

4 out of 5
42 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Ed

I have to admit that serving a whole roasted rabbit sounds cool for a dinner party. But if you want flavor, melt the guanciale in a little olive oil in dutch oven; brown the rabbit in pieces. Cover the dutch oven and cook. Unless you want a mucky goop of veg, add the stems of the treviso in a few mins before the rabbit is done. Add the treviso leaves, dandelion greens and watercress in right after cooking and give it a stir and serve.

Sanford

Are we roasting at 500 degrees the entire time? I’m afraid we’ll end up with a very dry dish, burnt greens.

Jacqueline

Agree, I usually cook at 350 for about 1.5 hours for a 2 lb rabbit. Awaiting confirmation, since Gabrielle Hamilton sure can cook!

Susan

I made both the rabbit and lentils for a dinner party this weekend and they were a huge hit. Got the butcher to cut up the rabbit for ease and wrapped each piece in pancetta (in homage to the prosciutto-wrapped rabbit at Cafe Juanita) roasted at 475. Greens were perfectly wilted.

robin

I used home cured bacon and radicchio, I scattered small, cut up potatoes and shallots around rabbits and put some extra slices of bacon on top of the rabbits. Otherwise followed directions but cut cooking time a bit. This is basically standard m o for roast chicken so why wouldn’t it work? Everything perfect!! Edges of dandelion not under rabbit crispy, the rest, along with potatoes and shallots lush and carmelized. Go heavy on oil/wine/pork!

Cheap Jim

I tried it, and it works quite well. Be generous in drizzling the oil and wine.

Bess

We brined a rabbit for a day and a half, then followed this recipe. Used bacon top and bottom, plenty of wine and olive oil. The rabbit came out tough and rubbery. Not sure what went wrong. Trying to remedy with some pressure cooking….

Lizanne Pastore

Made this last nite for Covid-Christmas-dinner-for-two with a fresh locally-raised rabbit from a friend. Followed recipe exactly but with only 2 differences: 1. Added shitakes, potatoes & carrots around perimeter of pan to make this a 1-pan dinner! 2. Set oven at 425 as we didn't have an exhaust fan where we were. Spectacular! Notes: Cook time 45'. I really oiled the bunny to get the browning. Added guanciale strips on top. Thank you, Gabrielle. I miss our visit to NYC and Prune this year.

MB

Can chicken be substituted for rabbit? (I had a pet [wild] rabbit when I was a kid and can't get myself to cook, or eat a wittle wabbit.) Should chicken be cooked at a lower temperature? Thank you.

robin

no Treviso in our neck of the woods but I did grab some dandelion leaves out of the lawn :) Also had to sub sliced pancetta for guanicale -- forgive me Ms. Hamilton!! Have made this many times now for dinner guests -- to super simplify I put onions, carrots, parsnips and whatever else is lying around on the sheet pan -- everyone is always delighted even when some veg are a little 'extra crispy.'

robin

I used home cured bacon and radicchio, I scattered small, cut up potatoes and shallots around rabbits and put some extra slices of bacon on top of the rabbits. Otherwise followed directions but cut cooking time a bit. This is basically standard m o for roast chicken so why wouldn’t it work? Everything perfect!! Edges of dandelion not under rabbit crispy, the rest, along with potatoes and shallots lush and carmelized. Go heavy on oil/wine/pork!

Susan

I made both the rabbit and lentils for a dinner party this weekend and they were a huge hit. Got the butcher to cut up the rabbit for ease and wrapped each piece in pancetta (in homage to the prosciutto-wrapped rabbit at Cafe Juanita) roasted at 475. Greens were perfectly wilted.

Smunter

There is a wonderful YouTube video that demonstrates butchering a rabbit - it's a little labor but we find it relatively easy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gVp-CExTYMU

mohan

What if I made this with a couple of small spatchcocked chickens. Probably a lower oven temp too. Any thoughts?

Anthony C Murphy

I had the ingredients to cook this and then saw the temperature and the duration. I can't do it. Has anyone followed the recipe?

Ed

I have to admit that serving a whole roasted rabbit sounds cool for a dinner party. But if you want flavor, melt the guanciale in a little olive oil in dutch oven; brown the rabbit in pieces. Cover the dutch oven and cook. Unless you want a mucky goop of veg, add the stems of the treviso in a few mins before the rabbit is done. Add the treviso leaves, dandelion greens and watercress in right after cooking and give it a stir and serve.

Sanford

Are we roasting at 500 degrees the entire time? I’m afraid we’ll end up with a very dry dish, burnt greens.

Jacqueline

Agree, I usually cook at 350 for about 1.5 hours for a 2 lb rabbit. Awaiting confirmation, since Gabrielle Hamilton sure can cook!

Cheap Jim

I tried it, and it works quite well. Be generous in drizzling the oil and wine.

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