from Always Hungry
To this day, whenever someone asks me what my favourite dish of all time is, this is the one I choose. I don’t know if it was the meal itself, the people I was with, the service or simply the fact that I was sitting on a fantastic patio next to the famous Avignon Bridge in the south of France, but rabbit is f*** delicious and you have to try it! Here, it is prepared with a creamy mustard sauce and garnished with a good amount of wild mushrooms.
Servings: 4-6
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cooking Time: 50 minutes
Ingredients
3 oz (90 g) morels
2 large rabbits
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Olive oil, for drizzling
2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter
8 oz (250 g) chanterelles, cut into quarters, or whole if small
3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 shallot, chopped
1 cup (250 mL) white wine
2 cups (500 mL) heavy or whipping 35% cream
2 Tbsp (30 mL) Dijon mustard, divided
2 Tbsp (30 mL) mustard seeds, divided
2 Tbsp (30 mL) maple syrup
10 to 12 fresh parsley leaves, chopped
1 bunch fresh chives, chopped
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350F (180C).
Rinse morels. Plunge them in boiling water for 30 seconds, then place on a clean tea towel to dry. Set aside.
Sprinkle rabbits with salt and pepper, then drizzle with oil.
Heat a roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add rabbits and sear for 6 to 8 minutes, until all sides are browned. Set aside on a baking sheet.
Melt butter in the same pan over high heat. Add both mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add garlic and shallot and cook for 2 minutes. Deglaze with wine and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until liquid has reduced by half. Stir in cream, 1 Tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard and 1 Tbsp (15 mL) mustard seeds and bring to a boil.
In a bowl, mix the remaining 1 Tbsp (15 mL) mustard, 1 Tbsp (15 mL) mustard seeds and maple syrup. Baste this mixture over all sides of the rabbits.
Return the rabbits to the roasting pan and bake for 40 minutes. Baste with sauce every 10 minutes.
Place rabbits on a large serving platter and drizzle creamy mustard sauce on top. Garnish with parsley and chives and enjoy!
Nada’s Tips & Tricks: The sauce makes this dish easy but oh so flavourful. Served with a side of root vegetables and you have an autumn delight!
Courtesy of Always Hungry! by Laurent Dagenais © 2023 www.robertrose.ca Reprinted with permission. Available where books are sold.
Image Credits:
Cover Photography: Renaud Robert and William Langlais
Interior Photography: Renaud Robert and William Langlais
Food Styling: Laurent Dagenais
