Gary and Jane LangtonMain CourseProvencal RecipesRabbitTaste

Classic French Recipe Baked Rabbit with Mustard Cream

Baked rabbit is a classic French dish with Dijon mustard and cream. However, if you really don’t want to cook rabbit, then substitute chicken thighs.

Braised Rabbit in Mustard Sauce @Masdaugustine

Baked Rabbit with Mustard Cream

Tender rabbit baked to perfection in a creamy and tangy mustard sauce.
5 from 1 vote
Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 2 hrs
Total Time 2 hrs 20 mins
Course Lunch Dish, Main Dish
Servings 6 people

Ingredients
  

  • 1 large rabbit jointed into 6 portions or 6 large chicken thighs
  • 2 large Shallots finely sliced
  • 2 tsp Plain Flour
  • 50 gr Butter
  • 1 tsp olive oil
  • 200 ml White Wine
  • 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 500 ml Chicken stock
  • 100 ml double cream
  • 2 sprigs Fresh Thyme
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
  • 500 ml Chicken stock
  • 100 ml double cream
  • 2 Sprigs of fresh thyme
  • 1 Bay Leaf

Instructions
 

  • Preheat the oven to 180C
  • Melt half the butter with the oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat.
  • Season the rabbit portions with salt and black pepper and gentle sauté them until golden brown on all sides.
  • Transfer the rabbit to a large flame-proof casserole dish.
  • Wipe the frying pan clean with kitchen paper and add the remaining butter, return to a medium heat and gently sauté the sliced shallots until softened (about 5 minutes).
  • Add the flour to the softened shallots and, stirring continuously, cook for 1 minute.
  • Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the wine and half the stock.
  • Return the pan to the heat and cook gently, stirring all the time until the sauce thickens.
  • Add the mustard, season with salt and black pepper and simmer gently for 2 minutes.
  • Remove from the heat and pour over the rabbit (in the casserole dish).
  • Add the remaining stock to the casserole and gently bring to the boil on the hob.
  • Add the thyme and bay leaf and place a piece of baking parchment on the surface of the casserole, then cover with its lid.
  • Transfer the dish to the pre-heated oven for 1.5 hours, or until tender – the meat will begin to fall off the bone when cooked.
  • Remove the casserole from the oven and place on the hob.
  • Using a slotted spoon, gently remove the rabbit pieces and set aside.
  • Stir in the cream and gently simmer for 5 minutes, removing the sprigs of thyme and bay leaf.
  • Replace the rabbit pieces and adjust the seasoning to taste.

Notes

I serve this rabbit dish on a bed of crunchy savoy cabbage with fondant potatoes. However mashed, roast or baked potatoes work equally well and you could serve with any green vegetable.
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Gary and Jane Langton

Gary and Jane Langton

When Jane was younger she wanted to be a show-jumper and, although she had some success, Jane knew she could never afford a horse that could take her to the top. Similarly, Jane enjoyed cooking and would have loved to be a chef, but she always knew that the unsocial hours would never fit with raising her family. So she stepped into the world of property construction and interior design, where she enjoyed a successful and fun filled career.

Gary went to a nautical school and always dreamed of going to sea, captaining his own ship. Although he managed to be selected for officer training in the Royal Navy at an early age, by the time he was 18 he no longer had 20:20 vision and his chosen field in the RN was no longer open to him. For a short period Gary studied quantity surveying before finally choosing a career in banking, during which time he lived for a period in New York before returning to London and ultimately running a global business team (involving much travel).

Jane and Gary met, via the internet, in February 2005 and their relationship took off. By 2007 they were married and, in early 2009, they both decided that enough was enough - the constant travelling with their jobs, rushed weekends together and too much politics in their business lives finally taking its toll.

So they decided on a total change of life. Jane had always dreamed of running a boutique hotel or upmarket B&B and pushed this idea which was accepted by Gary as he couldn’t come up with an alternative plan. The couple finally decided on France (proximity to their children in the UK and good weather) and spent about 18 months viewing 100+ properties in the South of France, from Provence to almost Spain and back, before finally settling (in December 2010) on an old stone house (and former silk farm) in La Bruguiere, a small village about 10 minutes from Uzes, France’s first Duchy and a beautiful little town.

The house renovation took 17 months and they first opened for business in summer 2012. As they end their sixth year in France the couple have no regrets and remain positive about their future.

Jane has finally managed to fulfil one of her childhood dreams of cooking professionally for others and continues to ride her horse. Gary works front of house at Mas d'Augustine their chambres d’hôte and (when asked) offers business advice to friends/associates in their location, whilst amusing himself by playing (bass) in a local French group. The couple recently started an additional business to project manage renovation works/remodelling (and, if requested, provide interior design) of holiday homes for absentee owners.

Life is too short to stand still and wait for it – Jane and Gary are firm believers that life is for the taking. Enjoy Jane's recipes here or spend a couple of nights to savour her cooking first hand.

1 Comment

  1. blank
    Myra Pastyr
    October 30, 2021 at 7:05 pm — Reply

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe! I cooked it in the Dutch oven over low heat on the stove and it was delicious. I also used one leek, thinly sliced, instead of shallots. Next time, I will try it in the oven…

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