Top | Primal Cuts

Lapin à la Moutarde

(recipe, Marissa Guggiana)

Introduction

This is a recipe I used to serve at Fringale Restaurant in San Francisco. Search out a very high-quality mustard from Dijon, versus the "Dijon-style" mustard found in supermarkets. Rabbits don't slum.

Ingredients

  1. 1 whole rabbit, cut into 8 pieces
  2. ½ cup Dijon mustard (see Note)
  3. Salt
  4. Freshly ground black pepper
  5. 5 Tbsp. unsalted butter
  6. 1 small onion, finely chopped
  7. ½ cup French Chablis or other dry white wine
  8. 1 bouquet garni (rosemary, thyme, bay leaf)
  9. ¼ cup crème fraîche (see Note)
  10. 2 Tbsp. finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

Steps

  1. Smear the rabbit pieces with the mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Sear the rabbit pieces, turning frequently, until crisp and golden brown, about 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a platter.
  3. Reduce the heat to medium and melt the remaining butter in the skillet. Add the onion and cook until softened, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the wine to the skillet and scrape up any browned bits. Return the rabbit pieces to the skillet, along with the bouquet garni. Cover and cook until the rabbit is tender, about 25 minutes.
  4. Turn off the heat and remove the rabbit to a warmed platter. Stir the crème fraîche and parsley into the skillet. Spoon the sauce under the rabbit to maintain the crisp crust.

Note

Culinate editor's notes: If you can't find authentic Dijon mustard, buy a coarsely ground American version (often labeled something like "country Dijon"); it will work just fine. You can replace the crème fraîche with regular cream, if you like. Roasted potatoes and Brussels sprouts are lovely side dishes, but you can also use egg noodles, rice, or spaetzle as an underlying starch for the finished rabbit.