Rabbit in Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

rabbit

• 1 5/8 kg rabbit, pieces (with bones, 3lbs 9oz)
• salt
• pepper, freshly ground
• 2 tablespoons mild mustard
• olive oil

mustard sauce

• 4 medium onions, roughly chopped
• 6 slices bacon, thin slices, sliced into 3 cm pieces (1 1/5 inch pieces)
• 4 tablespoons flour
• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 cup white wine
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
• 1 cup single cream (if the single cream in your country works well in sauces, otherwise use cream)
• 3-4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• thyme (to garnish)

Directions

1. 1

   As indicated in the introduction I have doubled the sauce of the original recipe. You may therefore halve it if you are not as partial to sauce as I am.

2. 2

   Preheat oven 180°C / 355°F / gas 2.

3. 3

   Remove any visible fat from the rabbit meat. Rinse rabbit meat under cold water and drain well with kitchen paper.

4. 4

   Brush pieces with mustard, but do not use too much of it, as it otherwise will burn during the frying process. Generously salt and pepper the meat.

5. 5

   Fry the meat pieces in portions in hot olive oil in an oven-safe pot until they have a nice colour. Use more oil if necessary. Put browned meat aside.

6. 6

   Fry onions and bacon in the pot you fried the rabbit for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Sprinkle with flour and stir. Add wine and stock and bring to a boil while you keep stirring. Add meat and thyme leaves.

7. 7

   Cover with a lid and cook in the oven for 75-90 minutes or until tender. Remove pot from oven and put on stove. Add cream and 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard. Mix and check if you want to add another tablespoon. Season to taste. Cook for a few minutes on the stove until the sauce is creamy.

8. 8

   Serve on individual plates with mashed potatoes and vegetable of your choice. Garnish meat with thyme sprigs or thyme leaves.