Braised Rabbit in Red Wine (Italian Coniglio al Vino Rosso)

Rabbit, a lean game meat that has fallen out of favour in recent decades, is making a comeback; it's now easy to find at many groceries and farmers' markets.

1 bottle red wine (750 mL)
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2¼ Tbsp. sugar
1 (2-3 lb) rabbit, cut into 8 pieces
kosher or sea salt
black pepper, freshly ground
¼ cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
16 cloves garlic, crushed
16 sage leaves
6 sprigs rosemary

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C/160°C fan, Gas Mark 4).

In a bowl, whisk together wine, vinegar, and sugar; set red wine mixture aside.

Season rabbit with salt and pepper to taste. Put flour on a plate. Dredge rabbit in flour; shake off excess.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook rabbit, turning once, until browned on all sides, about 6 minutes per side.

Transfer rabbit to a deep 9x13" baking dish. Add garlic to the skillet; cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Pour wine mixture into skillet; boil and scrape up browned bits with a spoon; pour sauce over rabbit.

Scatter sage and rosemary over top. Cover with foil and transfer to oven; braise until tender, about 45 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to 450°, and continue cooking, basting rabbit until sauce is thickened, about 25 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with crusty bread or atop wide egg noodles.

Makes 4 servings.