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October 2010
Roast Rabbit with Mustard
Lapin Rôti à la Moutarde
photo by France Ruffenach
Everywhere in France, Dijon mustard, hot or mild, with or
without seeds, is used as a quick seasoning sauce when grilling
or roasting. In this Provençal recipe, the mustard is bolstered
with chopped herbs and plenty of garlic. Roasted tomatoes are
the natural accompaniment.
Serves 4
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3
tablespoons/45 ml olive oil, more for roasting pan
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6
tablespoons/120 g Dijon mustard
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1
rabbit (about 3 pounds/1.35 kg), cut into pieces
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2
tablespoons chopped fresh basil
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1
tablespoon chopped fresh oregano or savory
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1
tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
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Salt and pepper
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10
garlic cloves, unpeeled
Baked tomatoes
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2
large tomatoes
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2
tablespoons olive oil, more for baking dish
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3
tablespoons browned bread crumbs
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1
garlic clove, finely chopped
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1
tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Onion Jus
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2
onions, finely chopped
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3/4 cup/175 ml medium-dry white wine
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2
tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
Heat the oven to 350˚F/180˚C. Oil a roasting pan and put the
rabbit pieces in it. Mix the mustard and 3 tablespoons oil in a
small bowl, and brush the rabbit pieces generously with the
mixture, reserving some for basting rabbit pieces. Put the
rabbit pieces in the prepared pan, and sprinkle them with more
oil and the basil, oregano, and rosemary, salt and pepper. Roast
the rabbit until tender and golden brown, 45 minutes to 1 hour,
adding the garlic cloves after the first 15 minutes. During
cooking, turn the pieces from time to time, brushing them with
more mustard mixture so they are always moist. Take care not to
overcook the rabbit pieces or they will be dry.
For
the tomatoes, core them and cut them in half through the
equator. Oil a small baking dish and add the tomatoes, cut side
up. In a small bowl, mix together the bread crumbs, garlic,
parsley, oil, salt and pepper, stirring to make a crumbly
mixture. Spread it on the tomatoes. Bake them in the oven with
the rabbit. When the skins split after 12 to 15 minutes, showing
the tomatoes are tender, remove them from the oven, set aside,
and keep warm.
When the rabbit pieces are done, transfer them to a platter with
the garlic cloves, cover with aluminum foil, and keep them warm.
For the onion jus, add the onions to the roasting pan and fry on
the stove top over medium heat, stirring often, until golden
brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the wine and bring to a boil,
stirring to deglaze the pan juices. Taste, adjust the seasoning,
and spoon the onions with their jus over the rabbit.
To
serve, arrange the tomatoes around the edge of the platter. I do
not advise reheating roasted rabbit because it will dry out, but
you can cook it 3 or 4 hours ahead of serving, as both it and
the tomatoes are excellent at room temperature.
Excerpted from THE COUNTRY COOKING OF FRANCE
by Anne Willan, Chronicle Books, 2007.
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