Boyfriend and I made this recipe for Valentine's Day dinner...didn't change a thing besides halving everything to suit our needs. Amazing flavors and aroma! BF said he only wants to eat rabbit from now on. Ate it with a endive, bosc and hazelnut salad, roasted fingerlings and an Oregon Pinot. Will definitely make this again and again!
Rabbit in Mustard Sauce
This recipe comes from David Tanis, a chef at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California.
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Credit: Todd Coleman
INGREDIENTS
2 rabbits (about 2 1⁄2 lbs. each), each cut into 6 to 8 piecesKosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1⁄2 lb. pancetta or unsmoked bacon, cut into 1⁄4"-thick strips
1 1⁄2 cups crème fraîche
3⁄4 cup Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh thyme
2 tbsp. roughly chopped fresh sage
2 tsp. black or yellow mustard seeds, crushed
8 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 bay leaves
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Season rabbit generously with salt and pepper and place in a large bowl along with remaining ingredients. Mix together with your hands until rabbit pieces are coated. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let marinate at room temperature for at least 1 hour or overnight in the refrigerator.2. If rabbit has been chilled, allow it to come to room temperature. Heat oven to 400° and arrange a rack in the middle of oven. Divide rabbit in a single layer between 2 shallow roasting pans and top with any of the remaining marinade. Roast the rabbit, turning once and basting with pan juices occasionally, until the juices have reduced and rabbit is cooked through, about 55 minutes. Set oven to broil and cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes more. Serve rabbit with pan juices.
Pairing Note Try a rich, low-tannin red, such as the vibrant Justification 2007 from Justin Vineyards in California's Paso Robles region; it pairs well with the dish's spicy notes. — David Rosengarten
Ratings & Reviews (3)
O'boy... just made this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!! One change I did make was ...Chicken. My wife will not eat any cute animals so I made the compromise..It's a hard road to hoe but I manage. This will be a go to recipe for me. Just watch the salt in the beginning. I over did it. Still a great dinner tho. Paired it with sauteed asparagus and wild rice. I would recommend a more subtle starch. Roasted Fingerlings sound prefect as per Perryakramer. We had a California Pinot Noir...Worked Great.
My husband and I enjoyed this for Easter. Made as per recipe the meat was velvety and the mustard made the perfect counterpoint. Will do this again.
Rabbit in Mustard Sauce
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