Jono’s birthday treat this year was a rabbit, which we ate. Orlaith (the 3 year old in the house) also ate it despite being very attached to her favourite fluffy ‘Bunny’. If you’re nervous about rabbit don’t be, the flavour is really good and not too gamey. We highly recommend this mustard & tarragon sauce too.
Wine Suggestion: A classic French dish needed a classic French wine to go with it. Our choice was a favourite, the Patrick Javillier Bourgogne Blanc Cuvée Oligocene, in reality a good Meursault. Well worth seeking out.
Rabbit with Mustard & Tarragon – serves 3-4
- 1.5kg rabbit joints
- 25g unsalted butter
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 500ml chicken stock
- 100ml double cream
- 4 tsp Dijon mustard
- a good squeeze of lemon juice
- leaves from 8 springs of tarragon
Season the rabbit joints with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a deep frying pan and brown the rabbit pieces, then remove from the pan and set aside. Cook the onion in the same pan until soft and golden. Add the stock, bring to the boil, then reduce to a gentle simmer and return the rabbit pieces to the pan. Simmer very gently, covered, for 1.5-2 hours or until tender and still moist.
Take the rabbit back out of the pan, put into a warm dish and cover. Add the cream to the stock and reduce by about half. Add the mustard, lemon juice and half the tarragon. Reduce again until the sauce is the consistency of single cream but be careful the sauce doesn’t reduce too much and become sticky and salty.
Return the rabbit to the sauce to heat through and add the rest of the tarragon just before serving.
(Original recipe from Food from Plenty by Diana Henry, Mitchell Beazley, 2010.)
Jono & Jules do food & wine 
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