France-Soir’s casserole de lapin de provençale: Rabbit casserole with mustard sauce

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp melted duck fat
• 4 each rabbit legs and shoulders (see note)
• 250 ml (1 cup) white wine
• 2 small Spanish onions, thinly sliced
• 3 red capsicums, thinly sliced, seeds removed
• 2 celery stalks, diced
• 1 fennel bulb, diced
• 400 gm can diced tomatoes
• 750 ml (3 cups) chicken stock (see note)
• 200 gm mixed whole olives in brine, plus 100ml brine
• Basil, to serve
• POTATO PURÉE
• 1 kg sebago potatoes, peeled and cut into 3cm pieces
• 100 ml thickened cream
• 150 gm unsalted butter, chopped, plus extra melted to serve
• Pinch each of freshly grated nutmeg and white pepper
• Thinly sliced chives, to serve

Instructions

1. 1

   1: Preheat oven to 170°C fan-forced. Heat half the duck fat in a large deep casserole over medium-high heat. Brown rabbit in batches, turning occasionally, until golden (6-8 minutes) . Remove rabbit from pan and transfer to a bowl. Deglaze with wine, scraping base of the pan until reduced by half (1-2 minutes). Pour wine mixture over rabbit. Wipe casserole clean with paper towel. Heat remaining duck fat in casserole over medium heat. Add onion, capsicum, celery and fennel; cook, stirring occasionally, until softened (8-10 minutes). Add tomatoes, stock and olive brine; stir to combine. Return rabbit and wine juices to casserole. Bring to a simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and braise in oven until meat is very tender but still attached to the bone (2-2½ hours; see note).

2. 2

   2: Meanwhile, for potato purée, place potatoes in a saucepan and cover with cold salted water; bring to the boil, then cook until potatoes are tender (15-18 minutes). Drain; cover with a tea towel and stand to steam (5 minutes). Pass through a ricer or mouli into a clean pan. Warm cream, butter, nutmeg and pepper in a saucepan, then gradually add to puréed potato, beating well between each addition, until smooth. Season. Keep warm.

3. 3

   3: Remove rabbit from braising stock. Return casserole to medium-high heat, and simmer until sauce is thickened (5-6 minutes). Stir through olives; return rabbit to sauce and turn to coat. Season with pepper.

4. 4

   4: Arrange rabbit in a serving dish and scatter with basil. Serve with potato purée drizzled with extra butter and scattered with chives on the side.