Chicken Cooked in the Manner of Rabbit

Copyright 2012 LtDan'sKichen blogs

This dish is my version of something cooked a little bit differently because the main star of the dish is quite hard to find. Rabbit is considered a pet and is not really considered as a source of meat in my country. Thus, the best way to substitute this important ingredient is to use chicken. Turkey thighs might actually be a better substitute but they are also quite rare to find here in my local grocery store as well so chicken it is. 

The recipe is from Sophia Loren's cookbook and is a dish I've always wanted to try but never dared to. However, I'm running out of ideas on what dish to make so I figured now is a good a time as any to finally try it. A few changes included the omission of marinating the chicken pieces in vinegar. This is usually done to neutralize the gaminess of the rabbit meat but with chicken, there is no need to worry about this issue. I also used brandy instead of white wine to braise the chicken and it works quite well.

Chicken Cooked in the Manner of Rabbit

2 lbs chicken thighs, skin on
1/4 cup brandy
1/4 cup olive oil
4 oz bacon
1 onion, diced
2 carrots, diced
1 celery branch, diced
1/2 tsp rosemary, dried
1/4 tsp thyme, dried
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1 cup black olives
flour for dredging

1. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour and tap off
    excess. Set aside.

2. Heat the oil over medium heat in a large pan. Fry the chicken pieces until
    browned on both sides. Set aside.

3. In the same pan, add the bacon and fry until crisp. Add the onions, celery
    and carrots and cook until softened. Add the herbs and cook for another
    minute.

4. Add the brandy and bring to a boil. Return the chicken pieces and add the
    wine vinegar and once boiling, decrease the heat to low. Cover and
    simmer until the chicken pieces are cooked. If it gets too dry, add small
    amounts of water.

5. Season with salt and pepper and check for flavor. Adjust accordingly. Add
    the olives and cook for another 5 minutes. Check for flavor one last time
    and serve warm.