Rabbit with mustard and bacon
Rabbit seems to be one of those meats that finds favour in certain cultures and not in others. It’s very popular in France and Italy for sure and Derek remembers it as part of his family’s food until the outbreak of myxomatosis in the early 1950’s when everyone stopped eating it and it never seems to have regained its popularity. Which is a pity because it is a very tasty, lean meat. Most probably the rabbit you find in the supermarkets are farmed rather than wild and tend to be of a larger size and a less ‘gamey’ taste.
Rabbit pares well with mustard and this recipe, which requires a bit of preparation effort to remove the thigh bone, works really well and would make a very handsome dinner party dish but is equally fit for a Sunday family meal which is when we ate it. You could substitute chicken legs if you prefer.
serves 4
- 50g butter
- small handful of parsley and tarragon leaves, finely chopped
- grated zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1 small clove garlic, crushed
- 4 rabbit legs
- slices of pancetta or streaky bacon
For the mustard sauce
- 3 tbsp creme fraiche
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp grain mustard
- lemon juice
Mash the butter with the herbs, garlic and lemon zest, then chill. This can be done up to a day in advance. Use a small sturdy knife to scrape the meat away from the thigh bone part of the rabbit leg. Try and create a pocket around the bone rather than cutting into the actual meat. When you get to the joint, cut or snap the bone away.
Take a quarter of the butter and stuff into the cavity of each rabbit leg. Wrap the slices of pancetta or bacon around each leg so that they join underneath. The rabbit can be prepared up to a day ahead and kept in the fridge.- Heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Place the rabbit on a shallow roasting tray and roast for 20-30 mins (depending on size of the leg), then leave to rest for 5 mins. While the rabbit is resting, make the sauce. Heat the crème fraîche with both mustards and simmer for 2-3 mins until thickened slightly. Season to taste, then add a squeeze of lemon juice.
- To serve, spoon some sauce onto each plate and arrange the rabbit on top.
Serve it with steamed new potatoes or, as we did, a mixture of white and wild rice with sautéd vegetables.
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