Don't touch my basil rabbit

There's a cute little rabbit that's been poking around my yard nibbling on the dandelions. He was sitting right outside my window looking at me. He can have all the dandelions he wants. BUT, if that little bugger touched my herb garden, he's Coniglio alla Cacciatora... in other words... he's dinner. I even have a recipe ready.

Coniglio alla Cacciatora (Hunter style rabbit)

Ingredients:
1 2 1/2-3 lb rabbit cleaned and cut into parts
Flour for dusting
Kosher salt & fresh ground pepper
2 T each Italian extra virgin olive oil and butter
1 medium sized white onion
1 clove garlic minced
1 large stalk celery diced
1 medium carrot peeled and diced
1/4 lb crimini mushrooms quartered
1 16oz canned tomatoes chopper or crushed
1/3 C each dry red wine and chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/2 t chopped fresh rosemary
1/2 t each fresh basil and oregano

Dust rabbit with flour, salt and pepper. Add olive oil and butter in deep cast iron frying pan on medium heat until hot. Brown rabbit parts on all sides and set aside. Leave about 3T of oil in pan. Add onions, garlic, celery, mushrooms and carrots and cook until onions lightly browned (about 10 minutes). Put rabbit back in pan. Add tomatoes and liquid, wine, 1/2 the parsley, rosemary, basil and oregano. Stir well. Simmer 50-60 minutes until rabbit is tender. Remove rabbit and veggies. Simmer sauce until thickened. Pour sauce over rabbit and veggies and sprinkle with remaining parsley.

My favorite way to have this is over polenta with mozzarella...Yum

Rabbit... careful. I have your number AND a recipe

Recipe stolen/adapted/borrowed from the Sunset Italian Cookbook