Rabbit in Mustard Sauce

Note that the whole rabbit can be subbed for a combo of legs and saddle. Start by checking the rabbit cavity for any hidden offal. Remove and save kidneys and liver. Remove and discard the heart and lungs. Remove the Hind Legs: Removing the back legs of a rabbit is very close to the process of removing the legs on a chicken. Hold the bottom of one leg with your off-hand, cut around and pull the leg outward, away from the body, so that you can cut between the area where the leg meets the body. Twist until it pops out and cut through down the spine to the tailbone. Just like chicken, the leg can be separated into leg and thigh pieces. Cut the tailbone (save for stock or jus), and repeat with the other leg. Front Legs (Wings): Position the rabbit on its side, so that the front leg is closest to you. Lift the leg up and away from the body of the rabbit, so that you can see where the shoulder joint connects to the cage. Cut around the leg, keeping the knife edge against the cage. The leg will come off easily. Flip the rabbit over onto its other side, and repeat the cutting process. French wings if desired. The Saddle: Rabbit saddle meat is particularly tender. There is a V mark that shows the separation between the rib cage and the saddle, cut through it. Saddle can be split into 2 or 3 portions. You’ll notice two flappy bits of belly hanging off; they can be removed. Cut off the head and esophagus and discard. Cut rib cage in half using a pair of shears. Save rib cage for stock or jus. Store meat in the refrigerator until ready to cook. Kidneys and liver shall be inserted to the stew after the 45 minutes cooking (add them during the 30 mins resting time). Or, sauté liver and kidneys separately in some butter, crushed garlic and herbs for about 5 minutes.

Cut bacon, chop onion and crush garlic cloves. Clean mushrooms and cut off stems. You can leave mushrooms whole if they are small, cut them otherwise. Tie up fresh thyme in butcher twine.

Heat up a large pot or dutch oven, add oil and add some salt to the bottom. Sear meat for a few minutes on both sides. Continue until done and reserve seared meat in a separate bowl. In the same pot, cook together bacon, onions, garlic and mushrooms for about 5 minutes on high heat. Lower the heat, add flour, white wine and water or stock. Stir up, and add herbs and mustard. Bring to a boil and add meat and the rendered juice. Do not add additional liquid at this point. Meat should not be completely submerged in liquid. Bring to boil, cover and cook on low heat on the stove, or in the oven at 350ºF/180ºC for 45 minutes. Remove pot from the oven and let it rest for 30 minutes before taking the lid out. Bonne appétit!