Tags
It’s easy to see why mustard is a classic ingredient in rabbit dishes. It’s delicious. This kind of thing would be really good made with chicken thighs and legs too. I’d take the skin off to minimize the amount of fat if using chicken. Domestic rabbits (farm-raised, not wild) give a very lean white meat that is not at all strongly flavoured.
Serve with rice or sautéed potatoes.
Serves 3
Ingredients:
1 rabbit (about 3 to 4lbs / 1 1/2 to 2 kg), cut into serving pieces
3/4 bottle of dry white wine (I used a Chablis)
3 tablespoons plus 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (I used a combination of classic Dijon and wholegrain)
250ml / 1 cup crème fraîche
3 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, crushed
5 shallots, finely sliced
3 bay leaves
1 sprig of thyme
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 carrot, sliced thinly (optional)
1 cube of sugar (optional)
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped roughly
Preparation:
Coat the pieces of rabbit with the Dijon mustard (3 tablespoons)
Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium high heat
Add the rabbit and brown on all sides
Meanwhile bring to the boil, in a saucepan, the wine with the bay leaves, thyme, garlic, sugar and carrot
When the rabbit is nicely browned, remove to a plate and keep warm
In the skillet add more butter, if needed, and cook the shallots until translucent
Add the rabbit and the wine mixture
Season and allow to simmer for about 1 hour
In a bowl, mix the cream, the 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard and some parsley
Remove the rabbit when cooked and place on a serving platter
Add the cream and mustard mixture to the wine cooking juices and cook for 2 minutes, do not allow it to boil
Pour the sauce over the rabbit and serve
Bon Appétit!
Rabbit is a favourite bistro dish and a family favourite in France. It is easy to find at any butcher, farmer’s market or even supermarket and the quality is very good. It is not a meat that I make very often but every time I do, I wonder why I do not use it more often as it is very flavourful, moist, tender and makes a pleasant change from chicken. That being said, if you cannot find rabbit, chicken can be used in this recipe just as well by simply adding about 10 to 15 minutes cooking time. The ragoût can be served with a long flat pasta such as pappardelle, rice or on a slice of toasted brioche. The mushroom sauce is exquisite and any leftovers can be served with pasta the next day. Qh, and be sure to have lots of crusty bread handy – you will be wanting to mop up every last bit of that sauce, believe you me.
Serves 4
Maison Travers 