Lapin à la Moutarde
Classic French braised rabbit in a creamy Dijon mustard sauce, tender and elegant yet simple enough for a weeknight. A one-pan dish that tastes like fine dining.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 520
- Protein
- 48g
Ingredients
- 2.5 pounds rabbit, cut into 6 pieces (hind legs, front legs, loin)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Instructions
- 1
Pat the rabbit pieces dry with paper towels, rubbing gently all over until no moisture remains. Dry meat browns better and absorbs the mustard sauce more evenly.
- 2
Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of salt and 0.5 teaspoon of pepper evenly over all the rabbit pieces, turning each piece to coat both sides.
- 3
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat for 90 seconds until the oil shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan.
- 4
Place the rabbit pieces skin-side down in the hot oil without crowding — work in two batches if needed. Do not move them for 4 minutes until the undersides are golden brown like honey.
- 5
Flip each piece over with tongs and cook the other side for 3 minutes until also golden brown. Transfer all cooked pieces to a clean plate.
- 6
Pour 0.5 cup of water into the empty skillet and use a wooden spoon to scrape up all the stuck-on brown bits from the bottom — this releases all the flavor.
- 7
Stir 3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard directly into the liquid until smooth and fully combined, no lumps visible.
- 8
Stir in 0.75 cup of heavy cream and mix continuously for 1 minute until the sauce is uniform and pale golden.
- 9
Return the rabbit pieces to the skillet, nestling them into the sauce so they are half-submerged. Cover the skillet with a lid.
- 10
Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer gently for 12 minutes until the rabbit is fork-tender (the meat should pull away easily from bone when pierced with a fork).
- 11
Remove the skillet from heat and carefully transfer the rabbit pieces to a serving plate using tongs, arranging them in the center.
- 12
Spoon the creamy mustard sauce from the skillet evenly over the rabbit pieces until they are mostly covered.
Tools you’ll need
- 12-inch skillet with lid
- paper towels
- wooden spoon
- tongs
- clean plate
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