Ingredients: serves 6
1 three-pound rabbit, cut into 12 pieces
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons vegetable or olive oil
4 ounces lardons fumes (or 4 slices American thick-cut bacon, diced)
18 white pearl onions, peeled
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, roughly chopped
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
1 bay leaf
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 cups dry white wine (we use Bergerac sec)
1/3 cup crème fraîche
Place rabbit in a medium bowl and toss with mustard until it is thoroughly coated. Cover and refrigerate at least two hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, heat oil in a large high-sided skillet over medium high heat. Add lardons and cook until golden and crispy; remove with a slotted spoon and reserve for later. Add onions to skillet and cook until golden, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Transfer onions to a small bowl using a slotted spoon, and add rabbit pieces to skillet. Cook rabbit until nicely browned, 5-8 minutes per side.
Add thyme, rosemary, bay leaf, salt, pepper, reserved onions, and wine. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook at a low simmer until rabbit is tender, about 40 minutes. Stir in crème fraîche, and adjust seasoning with more salt and pepper if necessary. Serve over roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes, or pasta. Sprinkle reserved crispy lardons over top.
Sara Neumeier's Lapin a la Moutarde