haddonstuff  -  where underachievement is a badge of honour

Rabbit with mustard - the mustard gives the dish real taste and moisture

From Brian Turner's Favourite British recipes. Serves six.

2 small rabbits, skinned
600ml chicken stock
150ml white wine
150ml double cream
3 tbsp  mustard
1 tbsp grain mustard
1 tbsp olive oil
1 carrot
1 onion
2 celery stalks
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped parsley


Preheat oven to 200°C
Cut rabbits into legs and shoulders, trim saddles, remove belly, halve the saddles
Chop carcass and put in pan with belly pieces, chicken stock and white wine. Boil to reduce by half
Mix mustard with some salt and pepper and the olive oil. Smear this over the rabbit pieces
Fine dice the veg. Shove into bottom of casserole, lay rabbit pieces on top. Sprinkle nutmeg over, cook for 20 mins
Turn rabbit pieces over, strain stock into the casserole. Back into oven for 20 mins or til cooked.
Take out rabbit pieces, put in clean pan and keep warm
Add cream to stock left in casserole. Bring to boil.
Strain into clean pan with the rabbit, add grain mustard and lemon juice, bring back to boil.
Check seasoning and serve

Rabbit casserole - traditional dish with a fruity tang

From Nick Nairn on BBC food website. Serves two (with plenty to go round)

110g/4oz rabbit, diced
85g/3oz seasoned plain flour
2tbsp olive oil
2tsp fresh thyme leaves
30ml/1fl oz white wine
55ml/2fl oz double cream
290ml/½ pint vegetable stock
1 orange, zested
1 tbsp fresh chives, chopped


Heat the oil in a large pan
Dip the rabbit in the seasoned flour
Add the rabbit to the hot oil and sauté until browned
Add the thyme leaves
Pour in the wine, cream and stock and stir
Add the orange zest
Simmer casserole for 12-15 minute
Remove casserole from hob and pour into a large dish
Top with chives and serve

Rabbit stew - slow cooked with full flavours

From Anna Gauci on Burke's Backyard website. Serves two if you're hungry, four if you're not

1 rabbit, cut into pieces oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup green peas
salt to taste
2 dessertspoons tomato paste
1 dessertspoon vinegar
1 cup water

Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add rabbit pieces, turning to seal in the juices. Remove rabbit and place in saucepan.
Add onion and garlic to the frying pan and cook for a few minutes before adding curry powde
Add the rest of the ingredients and stir well.
Pour over the rabbit in the saucepan, bring to the boil, cover and cook over a low heat for one and a half hours.

Rabbit with Garlic and Rosemary Served with Bruschetta - a summery lunch

From Gennaro Contaldo on BBC food website. Serves four.

1 rabbit, chopped into medium-sized chunks on the bone or use ready prepared boneless chunks of rabbit
plain flour, for dusting
150ml/5fl oz extra virgin olive oil
1 garlic head, cloves separated and kept whole with skin on
large bunch rosemary, broken in half
150ml/5fl oz white wine
salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the bruschcetta:
a few slices of bread
a few garlic cloves, peeled but left whole

Season the rabbit with salt and pepper and dust with the flour
Heat the extra virgin olive oil in a large, heavy-based frying pan.
When hot add the floured rabbit chunks and seal well on all sides until golden brown and quite crisp.
Reduce the heat, add the garlic and rosemary cover with a lid and cook gently for 30 minutes, turning the pieces of rabbit from time to time.
Raise the heat to high, remove the lid, add the wine and simmer until it has evaporated.
When the rabbit is ready, make the bruschetta.
Toast some slices of bread, immediately rub them with the garlic and then drizzle with some of the olive oil that will have risen to the top of the rabbit sauce.
Serve the rabbit accompanied by the bruschetta.

4 Rabbit legs
2 Tablespoons coarse (?) mustard
80 gram raisins
2 bay leaves
1 onion
300 ml chicken stock
50 gram tomato puree
1 clove of garlic
1 tablespoon apple syrup
100 grams cream (Belgians...)
60 grams butter
cornflour
salt & pepper

Sprinkle salt & pepper over rabbits legs, heat the butter and brown the legs.
Take them out of the pan and lightly fry the chopped onion in it, add tomato puree, let it come to the boil and add the chicken stock.
Bung in bay leaves, mustard, raisins, finely chopped garlic and apple syrup, then stir in the cream, and bring to the boil.
Put your legs back in (the bunnies, not your own) and put the pan in a pre heated oven at 190C.
Leave to simmer for 40 mins. After that remove bunny legs and put in a dish.
Mix up some cornflour with water to bind the sauce.

Serve with Rõsti and winter veg.