SPRING RABBIT RISSOLÉ; MOUSSERONS, FAVA BEANS
OFTEN PREPARED in civet with a mustard sauce, rabbit has been savored in Europe for centuries. As described by nineteenth-century gastronome and poet Fulbert-Dumonteil, “Rabbit is the delight of the farmer and the workman… it finds its place at all the feasts.” Today rabbit may be the most sustainable, leanest meat on the butchers’ counters. In this ode to spring, the saddle is stuffed with mint, minced rabbit leg meat, and pork; the rack is simply roasted and surrounded by mousseron mushrooms, fava beans, and asparagus.
Servings
4
Servings
4
Ingredients
Butchering the Rabbit
  • 1 rabbitwith liver and kidneys, about 2½-pound
Mint-Stuffed Loins
Seasoning ratio per pound of meat
Fava Beans and Asparagus
Mousseron Tempura
Mint-Roasted Mousseron Mushrooms
To Finish
Instructions
For Butchering the Rabbit
  1. On a large cutting board, lay the rabbit on its back, remove the kidneys and liver from the body cavity, and pull away and discard the fat surrounding them; dice and reserve for the stuffing. Trim and reserve the tenderloins from under the rack.
  2. With a butcher’s knife, trim away the shoulders (forelegs) by cutting flush up against the neck bone, then bend each foreleg forward to pop the bone from the joint. Carve through the joint toward the ribs to completely remove.
  3. Remove the legs by carving inward to separate the thigh from the tailbone, pop the bone from the joint, and then carve through the joint toward the tailbone to completely remove. Debone the legs, reserve the bones, and dice the meat for the stuffing.
  4. Separate the saddle from the ribs by chopping crosswise through the backbone halfway up the carcass where the ribs begin to protrude.
  5. Carve the 2 loins (leaving the belly flaps intact) from the saddle’s backbone.
  6. With a large knife, split the racks by laying them belly side up and chopping down both sides of the backbone. Shorten the tips of the rib bones to the desired length. French the racks by cutting a line across the top of the rib bones ½ inch from where the loin is attached. Score along the back of each rib bone and use your fingers to push the meat down, then trim it away. If desired, wrap the rack bones in aluminum foil to prevent browning. Reserve the racks, chilled. Chop all the bones, forelegs, and rack trim into rough 1-inch pieces, rinse with cold water, pat dry, and reserve for the rabbit jus.
For the Mint-Stuffed Loins
  1. Be sure that all the meat parts are well chilled. Heat the olive oil in a small sauté pan over medium-low heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook, stirring, until translucent, about 2 minutes, then transfer to a large bowl; chill. Add the diced meats, the wine, Cognac, tomato confit, and mint oil. Weigh the mixture and measure the seasoning according to the ratio listed in the ingredients. Pass the mixture through a meat grinder fit with the coarse plate. Mix until slightly pasty, cover with plastic, and keep chilled.
  2. Lay the loins on a cutting board so that the belly flaps are spread out, facing inside up. Lightly pound the belly flaps with a flat meat tenderizer and lightly score them in a crosshatch pattern. Lightly sprinkle the loins, the belly flaps, and the tenderloins with salt and pepper.
  3. Make a ¼-inch-deep cut down the center length of each loin. Stuff each cut with a single layer of 4 mint leaves and top with a tenderloin. Divide the ground meat onto the belly flaps and spread into flat layers. Roll the loins over the belly flaps, forming a log. Secure by tying with butcher’s twine at ½-inch intervals; reserve, chilled.
For the Fava Beans and Asparagus
  1. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and place a bowl of ice water on the side. Trim and discard about ½ inch of the fibrous stems from the jumbo and pencil asparagus. Using a mandoline, thinly shave 2 stalks of jumbo asparagus lengthwise to make at least 8 ribbons. Cut 2-inch tips on a bias from the remaining asparagus. Cut the stalks into small dice and set aside.
  2. Boil the jumbo asparagus tips for 1 minute, or until tender; transfer to the ice water. Boil the fava beans and pencil asparagus for 30 seconds, or until tender, then transfer to the ice water. Strain and pat dry the vegetables; reserve, chilled.
For the Mousseron Tempura
  1. Fill one-third of a medium saucepan with canola oil and heat to 350°F. Using a toothpick as an aid, dip the mushrooms into the tempura batter to coat. Slide into the oil and fry until golden brown (you will need to do this in several batches). Transfer to a paper towel–lined tray and sprinkle with salt. Keep warm.
For the Mint-Roasted Mousseron Mushrooms
  1. Warm the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 1 minute. Lower the heat, season with salt and pepper, and add the garlic, thyme, and butter. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, for 4 more minutes. Discard the garlic and thyme and toss in the mint just before serving.
To Finish
  1. Transfer the rabbit jus to a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Stir in the mustard seeds and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and the vinegar.
  2. Season the racks on all sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan. Add the racks and sear on all sides until browned, about 6 minutes. Remove the racks and add the loins to the pan. Sear the loins over medium-high heat on all sides until browned, about 5 minutes total. Reduce the heat to medium, return the racks to the pan, and add 2 tablespoons of the butter, the thyme, and the garlic. Cook the meats while turning every minute and constantly spooning the butter from the pan to baste them. Remove the racks after 4 minutes and transfer to a platter; rest in a warm place. Continue cooking the loins for another 2 to 4 minutes, until their internal temperature reaches 140°F. Transfer the loins to the platter with the racks, cover loosely with foil, and rest for 10 minutes. Remove butcher’s twine and cut each loin into 8 slices and each rack into 6 chops.
  3. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a medium sauté pan over medium heat. Add the diced asparagus stalks and sauté for 1 minute. Add the fava beans and asparagus tips and toss to heat through. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. For each serving, place a spoonful of diced asparagus and fava beans on one side of a warm dinner plate. Fan 4 loin slices on top and garnish them with 2 asparagus ribbons and 2 mousseron tempura pieces. Fan 3 chops of rack on the other side of the plate and sprinkle with fleur de sel. Arrange a few asparagus tips and a spoonful of roasted mousseron around the meats, drizzle jus in the center, and pipe a line of mint oil on the plate. Garnish the meat with 2 micro mint leaves.