Rabbit with mustard (lapin à la moutarde)
This Burgundian classic gets its character from Dijon mustard, white wine and a touch of cream — not the sugar-and-vinegar combination that shows up in some adapted versions. Rabbit is browned, then braised gently until tender in a mustard-laced sauce that turns silky once finished with a little crème fraîche. Mushrooms are a common addition in many versions of this dish and work well here if you'd like a heartier result.
Ingredients
Instructions
Season the rabbit with salt and pepper, then dredge lightly in flour, shaking off the excess.
Heat the butter and olive oil in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Brown the rabbit on all sides, in batches if needed, then remove and set aside.
Lower the heat, add the shallots and garlic, and cook until softened, 3 to 4 minutes, without letting them brown.
If using mushrooms, add them now and cook until they release their liquid and start to brown, about 5 minutes.
Pour in the wine, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot, and let it bubble for a minute or two.
Stir in the stock and Dijon mustard until dissolved. Add the bay leaf and thyme, then return the rabbit to the pot.
Cover and simmer gently over low heat until the rabbit is very tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning the pieces once or twice.
Transfer the rabbit to a serving dish. Stir the crème fraîche and wholegrain mustard into the sauce and simmer uncovered a few minutes, until slightly thickened. Adjust the seasoning.
Spoon the sauce over the rabbit, scatter with parsley or tarragon, and serve.
Notes
Rabbit dries out easily — keep the simmer gentle and never let the pot boil hard.
Dredging the meat in flour before searing gives the sauce body later, so less cream is needed to finish it.
Stir the wholegrain mustard in at the end rather than cooking it the whole time, so it keeps its texture and bite.
Variations
Add diced bacon or pancetta with the shallots for a richer, more rustic version.
Fresh tarragon is a classic pairing with rabbit and mustard — use it in place of or alongside the parsley.
For a leaner sauce, skip the cream and let the sauce reduce a little longer with an extra spoonful of mustard instead.
Source
Lapin à la moutarde is a Burgundian classic, built on the pairing of rabbit with Dijon — the region's own mustard — rather than on sugar and vinegar, which don't appear in traditional French versions of this dish.