This is a classical dish that Yvonne makes almost every time we can
get a rabbit. The original is in
her hand-written cookbook. Here's an
English translation with a few more comments.
Fry the pieces golden in plenty of butter (approximately 150 to 220 g). Add about half a pot
of mustard. Brush the mustard all over the rabbit, then firmly cover the pot (best is one
of those heavy cast iron pots) and cook over a low flame until tender (about 45 minutes).
The choice of mustard is very important, since it and the butter form the gravy. Hot
mustard is too hot for this dish, and we've found that even mild English mustard can cause
the gravy to curdle; possibly it's too sour.
We find that a mild German mustard, like Thomy's mild mustard, works well.
Serve with chips and a nice green salad.
Mère Saint-Ange's recipe
For comparison, here's the recipe from “La cuisine de Madame Saint-Ange”
(Larousse), a classical French cookbook. Be very careful with the cooking times, which are
often wildly inaccurate.
Rub the outside of the rabbit with a thick layer of ordinary brown mustard (neither Dijon
mustard nor English mustard are suitable for this dish). Wrap the rabbit with two big,
thin sheets of fat pork fat and hold in place with the thread. Pour over melted butter and
bake in oven for 20 minutes per pound.
Unfortunately, French “ordinary brown mustard” is very difficult to get outside
France. See the comments above.
