Lapin au moutarde (rabbit with mustard)

Another favourite from our neighbour Louis. His mother, Manou had a wonderful collection of recipes which she referred to as humble meals. Looking at the setting below - their terrace would seem the perfect setting far from humble. I envisage a lunch stretched out far into the afternoon with family and friends. Truly a thing of luxury:


Louis  writes: This rather “piquante” recipe became one of the favourites with all the family, including the grandchildren. It was a standard festive dish when numbers grew… as they often did. Try to find a wild or free-range rabbit in the market. One rabbit easily feeds at least 6 people, especially if you ask the butcher to give you the liver and kidneys, which also contribute to the flavour of the dish. Like chicken, rabbits have many very small bones, so have the animal cut up or jointed carefully to avoid bone chips. This is a dish that takes only ten minutes to prepare and 1 hour and 15 minutes to cook. As well as 1.2-5 kilo rabbit, the ingredients required are 1 glass or 3 tablespoons of strong Dijon mustard, 4 tablespoons of olive oil, 250 grams of cream, salt, pepper and a “bouquet garni” made of 2 bay leaves and some sprigs of thyme and 5 branches of parsley. Brown the pieces of rabbit until they are golden, remove the oil before adding the mustard, spread over all the pieces of rabbit, salt, pepper and the herbs, stir, cover and cook slowly for 15 minutes. Add the cream and two glasses of water. Cover and let it cook slowly for 45 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve with fried or boiled potatoes, ‘pommes dauphines’ and haricots verts.