roasted rabbit with creamy mustard sauce

rabbit is not the easiest thing to find if you live in the suburbs of chicago, as my mama and i found this week. after three days coming up short at local butcher shops, specialty grocery stores and meat counters, she asked her butcher for a recommendation on where to find game, and he gave her a name that has now become something of a buzzword: czimer’s game & sea foods in homer glen. not only did we find freshly frozen farm-raised rabbit, but muscovy ducks, pheasants, poussin, goat, african lion, antelope, black bear, rattlesnake, elk, beaver, snapping turtle, alligator, kangaroo are a few other treats on display inside. it is a veritable candy store of hard-to-find game and seafood (not to mention bones and skins) that lived to be 93 before getting our attention. still, now that we’ve found it, some fun meals await.

enough of that. onto the rabbit. this was by far my favorite meal we prepared in french bistro class–not only because of the tender surprise of tasting the rabbit, but also because of the lovely velvet sauce of shallot, wine, mustard and cream. you can certainly swap out the rabbit for chicken or any small game bird, but if you haven’t tasted rabbit, i highly recommend buying a few and roasting them on the bone. the meat is lean and tender–it wears a rich and slightly acidic sauce like this very well. i added fresh thyme because i had some leftover and i think it complements the acidity of the sauce nicely.

2 whole rabbits, trimmed of excess skin and cut into eight pieces
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 c. whole grain mustard, divided
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
2-3 shallots
1 c. dry white wine
1/2 c. heavy cream
a handful of fresh thyme or parsley leaves, chopped, for garnish

preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

note a short lesson on breaking down rabbit: to break down the rabbit, you must have a sturdy and very sharp knife. cut the rabbit into eight pieces much as you would a chicken, starting by removing the thighs at the joints. remove the front arms (like the “wings). next, cut off the rubbery excess skin on the sides around the saddle (meat around the backbone and loins). turn the rabbit over, and make a horizontal cut across the backbone just below the ribcage. do the same near the back end to remove the tail part. now hold your knife in line with the backbone and cut down through the center of it. it helps to hold the knife on top with one hand and pound down on the top of the blade with the palm of your other hand. you should have two fairly even pieces, divided at the spine. if you have a fairly small rabbit, leave it as is in six pieces. if it’s a bit larger, turn your knife perpendicular to the spine and cut the loin meat into four smaller pieces. save the ribs, tail and giblets to add flavor while roasting. …photos will be added when i buy my next rabbit…

shower the meat with salt and black pepper and rub each piece generously on all sides with grainy mustard. nestle the pieces into a heavy bottomed, oven-safe skillet or shallow dutch oven.

nestle the fresh sprigs of thyme among the meat, and place it in the oven, uncovered. after about 20 minutes, turn each piece over and return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes or so. during that time, finely mince the shallots. add the shallots and white wine to the mixture and return to the oven for another five minutes.

take out the rabbit, and keep warm on a plate tented with aluminum foil. move the pan to the stovetop, remove the thyme sprigs and discard. turn the heat to medium-high. reduce the shallot and wine mixture, all the while scraping the mustardy brown bits off the bottom with a wooden spoon. once the liquid has reduced by half, taste it for seasoning. here you can add some reserved mustard if the sauce needs it. next, add the cream, and let the sauce reduce for another 30 seconds. to serve, place three pieces of meat on a plate, and top with a few large spoonfuls of sauce and a sprinkling of fresh herbs. this dish is lovely with simple pan-fried potatoes with leftover fresh herbs and a tossed green salad with lemon vinaigrette. serves 4.