Le Lapin À La Moutarde Recipe

Marinate

Pat rabbit pieces dry with paper towels. In a large bowl or resealable container combine 1 cup dry white wine, sliced shallots, crushed garlic, thyme sprigs, bay leaf, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp cracked black pepper. Add rabbit pieces, pressing to submerge. Cover and refrigerate for 1–2 hours (or up to 4 hours) to mellow game flavor.

Prepare and Brown

Remove rabbit from marinade and reserve the marinade. Pat pieces dry again and lightly dust each piece with flour, shaking off excess. In a heavy Dutch oven or deep sauté pan over medium-high heat, melt 2 tbs unsalted butter with 2 tbs olive oil. Add rabbit pieces in batches (do not overcrowd) and brown on all sides until golden, about 6–8 minutes per batch. Transfer browned pieces to a plate.

Sauté Vegetables

Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tbs butter to the pot if needed. Add diced onion, carrots, and celery and sauté 6–8 minutes until softened and starting to color. Stir in halved mushrooms and cook 3–4 minutes until they release moisture. Stir in 1 tbs tomato paste and cook 1 minute to caramelize.

Deglaze and Build Braise

Pour the reserved marinade into the pot and scrape up brown bits from the bottom with a wooden spoon. Add remaining 1 cup white wine if you have (or up to 1/2 cup additional stock) and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Return rabbit pieces to the pot and pour in 3 cups chicken or rabbit stock — the liquid should come about halfway up the rabbit pieces. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover with a tight-fitting lid, and transfer to a preheated 325°F (160°C) oven or reduce heat to low on the stovetop. Braise until meat is tender and pulling from the bone, about 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Reduce Braising Liquid

When rabbit is tender, carefully remove rabbit pieces and keep warm on a plate tented with foil. Strain braising liquid into a saucepan, pressing on solids to extract flavor, and skim off excess fat. Bring the strained liquid to a simmer over medium-high heat and reduce by about one-third until slightly syrupy, about 8–10 minutes.

Emulsify Mustard Cream Sauce

Whisk together 3 tbs Dijon mustard and 1 tbs whole-grain mustard in a small bowl. Lower heat to medium-low and stir the mustard into the reduced braising liquid. Gradually whisk in 3 tbs heavy cream to loosen the sauce. Add 1 tbs fresh lemon juice, 2 tbs chopped tarragon, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Finish by whisking in 1 tbs cold unsalted butter a little at a time to create a glossy, slightly thickened sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, pepper, or an extra teaspoon of mustard if you prefer more tang.

Serve

Return rabbit pieces to the pan with the sauce to warm for 2–3 minutes (do not boil). Spoon sauce over pieces, sprinkle with remaining chopped tarragon and chopped parsley. Serve immediately with the prepared vegetable accompaniment.

While rabbit braises, prepare vegetables. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Toss halved baby potatoes with 1 tbs olive oil, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper on a sheet pan and roast for 20–25 minutes until tender and golden. In the last 4–5 minutes of roasting, add trimmed green beans to the pan or blanched separately in salted boiling water for 3 minutes then shock in ice water and finish in a hot skillet with a knob of butter to reheat. Toss roasted potatoes and green beans with chopped parsley before serving.