Rabbit Stifado (Kounéli Stifádo)
Κουνέλι στιφάδο Kounéli stifádoSay it: koo-NEH-lee stee-FAH-thoh
Kouneli stifado is the rabbit version of Greece's beloved stifado, a slow-braised stew in which meat and a mountain of pearl onions melt together in a dark, sweet-sour tomato and wine sauce scented with cinnamon, cloves and bay. On Skiathos and across the islands it is a Sunday and feast-day dish, cooked in a heavy pot until the sauce turns glossy and the onions collapse into it. The vinegar and warm spice give it its signature tang — rich, aromatic and deeply comforting with bread.
Rabbit Stifado (Kounéli Stifádo)
Κουνέλι στιφάδο, Kounéli stifádo
Pronounced koo-NEH-lee stee-FAH-thoh
- Serves
- 4
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 2 hr
- Total
- 2 hr 25 min
- Level
- Medium
Also nut-free and egg-free.
Allergens: none of the major allergens in the listed ingredients. Check labels on packaged ingredients.
Ingredients
Amounts are scaled. Cooking times and pan sizes stay the same.
For the rabbit and marinade
For the stew
Method
Rinse the rabbit pieces and pat them dry, then put them in a glass bowl with 1/2 cup (120 ml) of the red wine, the vinegar and 1 teaspoon of the salt. Cover and refrigerate for 2–4 hours, turning once.
Lift the rabbit out and pat it very dry; strain and keep the marinade. Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy casserole over medium-high heat and brown the rabbit in batches without crowding, until deep golden on all sides, about 5 minutes per side. Set aside.
Meanwhile, blanch the pearl onions in boiling water for 2 minutes, drain, and slip off the skins — or use frozen peeled pearl onions and skip this step.
Lower the heat to medium, add the onions to the pot and cook, stirring, until lightly golden at the edges, 8–10 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and stir for 1–2 minutes, until the paste darkens and smells sweet.
Pour in the remaining 1/2 cup (120 ml) wine and the reserved marinade and let it bubble for a minute, scraping up the browned bits. Add the grated tomatoes, sugar, cinnamon stick, cloves, allspice, bay leaves, pepper, the water and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.
Return the rabbit to the pot, nestling it among the onions. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over low heat for 1 1/2–2 hours, until the meat is fork-tender and almost slipping from the bone.
Uncover and simmer for 15–20 minutes more, until the sauce has reduced to a glossy, thick glaze that coats the onions. Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
Take off the heat, fish out the cinnamon stick, cloves and bay leaves, and let the stew rest for 10 minutes before serving.
Regional variant: Beef Stifado (Moschári Stifádo)
Replace the rabbit with 3 lb (1.4 kg) beef chuck cut into 2-inch (5 cm) chunks, and marinate it in the same wine and vinegar for at least 4 hours or overnight. Brown it the same way, then simmer covered for 2–2 1/2 hours before reducing the sauce; the onions and spices stay exactly as they are.
Cook's notes
- A young rabbit is tender in about 1 1/2 hours; an older one may need 2 1/2, so check with a fork rather than the clock.
- If the sauce is still thin at the end, press a few of the soft onions against the side of the pot to thicken it.
- Finish with a few drops of vinegar off the heat if the sweet-sour balance needs lifting.
Serve with
Crusty bread or fried potatoes, and a glass of the same red wine.
Make ahead and storage
Better the next day; refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 2 months, reheating gently with a splash of water.
