Braised Rabbit with Dijon Mustard Sauce

I’ve never eaten rabbit before, so I figured what the hey. Turns out it tastes a lot like chicken. This is a simple enough braise, and would work well with chicken too. I’ve adapted this from the Staff Meals From Chanterelle cookbook. You’ll notice the side dishes are exactly the same as the poached snapper post I made, because leftovers.

Recipe:

1 rabbit

8 ounces crimini mushrooms, sliced

1 yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, diced

1 cup white wine

3 cups chicken stock

4 sprigs Parsley

5 sprigs Thyme

2 Bay leaves

2.5 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons flour

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Salt and pepper       

Cut the rabbit into pieces – cut off the front legs (they come off pretty easy), then the back legs. You’ll want to pop the joints on those, like if you were taking the legs off a chicken. Chop the loin off from the rib cage, and chop off the bony part. Here’s what you’ll end up with:

Heat a dutch oven over medium high heat. Salt the rabbit pieces, and brown on both sides. Remove to a platter. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the mushrooms, onion and garlic. Cook until the mushrooms have released much of their liquid, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the wine, and reduce by half. Wrap the parsley, thyme, and bay leaves in a piece of cheese cloth, and use butcher’s twine to secure the ends so you have a little bundle.

Add the rabbit and the herb sachet back to the pot, along with the chicken stock. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer for 40 minutes, until the rabbit is cooked through.

Remove the rabbit to a platter. Turn the heat up to medium high to get the sauce at a boil. Knead the 2.5 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons flour together in a bowl. Add to the sauce and stir to incorporate. Reduce for about 20 to 25 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Add the Dijon mustard, the lemon juice, and salt and pepper as needed. Add the rabbit back to the sauce to warm it back up.