Back in Casabasciana, Heather and I went up to the grocery store in the village to purchase our food for dinner. “What would you like for dinner?” she asked. “I’m open” I said. She told the shopkeeper “Coniglio”. “I’m pretty sure I know what that means” I said to myself. And a bit of apprehension fell over me. Yes, it means rabbit. Cute little fluffy innocent rabbits that give us chocolate eggs every easter. Those rabbits.
Village Butcher preparing the coniglio (rabbit)
Butchered bunny
Never ate one, never thought I would… but remember… this trip is all about new experiences for me. And… I did say I was open to her dinner suggestions. I watched him pull it out of the refrigerator and butcher the carcass, while Heather picked up some items for side dishes.
Olives, herbed tomato sauce and rabbit
Knowing this would be a memorable meal for me, I took the following photo. The rabbit, stewed fresh anise with garlic served warm with potatoes fried in duck fat (which she had save from when she last had duck).
Coniglio. That’s whats for dinner
Well, what can I say, tastes like chicken. The fleshy part was really good, but I had to stop thinking about who/what I was eating in order to enjoy it. There was plenty of rabbit and since I would be home alone tomorrow, It was suggested that I warm it up and have it for lunch.
The next day, I took a mid-day break from my marketing work to have lunch. I warmed up the rabbit, put it on a plate, and was absolutely terrified of what was looking back at me that I had to take a picture and share it with all of you. If you look closely below, you can see the eye and the ear above. Go ahead, click on it to see it better. Yes, it was the left part of the rabbits head. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:
*Bugs Bunny™ is a registered trademark of Warner Brothers Entertainment.
No. That one is NOT an olive
