Tags
alain ducasse, becoming madame, cooking, food, french cuisine, french culture, lifestyle, paris life, recipe, wine
We just returned from a fabulously French holiday season with my in-laws. We spent a week in Pau, a city in Southwestern France bordering the Pyrenees mountains, and then a week at the family house in Dordogne. We relished the seclusion of no internet access or mobile reception while in the country, which explains in large part our short hiatus from regular posting.
The holidays were filled with French firsts for me. It seems no matter how long I live here in France, there is always something new to learn from my belle-mère or even more so from my belle-grandmère. I have accumulated a stack of over 20 recipes which I’ll be trying out over the next few weeks.
For now, I have one special recipe to share with you. This one is passed down from my belle-mère but did not originate in her family archives. Rather, this is a family rendition of a recipe from Alain Ducasse, one of the most accomplished chefs in France (he holds an unparalleled three Michelin Stars in three cities).
The recipe is called “Noisettes de lapereau sauce cacao” which means “Baby rabbit in a chocolate sauce”. My husband and I are chocolate fanatics, but I can’t bring myself to eat or even buy a baby rabbit (for eating purposes), so I’m substituting the rabbit for pork. I’ve come quite a long way in terms of French cuisine. I now habitually eat cheese between my main course and dessert. My desserts mainly consist of fruit or dark chocolate. I even made a foie gras from scratch this Christmas (video to come). Yet eating a baby rabbit, well, I just haven’t gotten to that point yet and I’m not sure I ever will. Nevertheless, this recipe (substitute noted) is delicious!
It calls for navette (turnips), pomme de terres (potatoes), Granny Smith apples, an egg and dark chocolate powder. A strange mix at first glance, but remarkable once all together. I’m making it for dinner tonight and I’ll let you know how it turns out!
Until then, I’ll leave you with the recipe and all my very best wishes for this new beginning in 2012!!!
Noisettes de lapereau (or pork or chicken or lamp) sauce cacao
Pair this meal with a good dry Loire Valley white – especially a Sauvignon Blanc such as Sancerre or Pouilly Fumé. Or to bring out the chocolate a Grave from Bordeaux or a Médoc.
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 3 baby rabbit thighs (or substitute)
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 2 Granny Smith apples
- 2 turnips
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 egg
- 50 g (1/4 cup) dark chocolate powder
- 25 cl (8.45 fl oz) water
- 80 g (2/3 cup) sugar
- 10 cl (3.40 fl oz) thick cream/ sour cream
- Salt & Pepper
Directions:
- Peel and grates the apples, the potatoes and the turnips.
- Mix all together and add in the egg. Salt the mixture to taste.
- Make 4 round patties measuring about 2-3 cm thick each. (Like hash browns.)
- In a non-stick pan, add one tablespoon olive oil and sauté the patties for 2 or 3 minutes on high heat.
- Once sautéed, put in the oven for 7-8 minutes at 180°C (350°F).
- In a pot, add the water, the chocolate powder and the sugar. Bring to a boil.
- Add the cream and let the sauce reduce; continue to stir until you have a homogenous color and creamy texture.
- In the pan used to sauté the veggie mix, add 2 tablespoons olive oil, pan fry your meat. (If rabbit 2-3 minutes. If pork or chicken until there is no pink.) Add salt and pepper to meat as you cook it.
- If rabbit, cover and let it simmer on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Remove meat from heat and cut the meat into pieces.
- When veggies are browned, remove from oven and serve.
- Serve the meat covered in the sauce. Drizzle the left over sauce over the plates for decoration.
Bon appétit!
stacieswanderlust said:
Your post made me laugh because I experienced the “baby rabbit” this Christmas too. I did not eat it either, but politely accepted the recipe. Let us know how the pork version works out.
Mike10613 said:
I would eat the baby rabbit but not the chocolate sauce!
Becoming Madame said:
You would get along famously with my father-in-law then!! Happy 2012!
jenny@atasteoftravel said:
Ever since we had our pet rabbit, Sunshine, I have not been able to eat rabbit. The recipe looks great but I’ll be trying it with chicken!
Kat said:
Despite being French I have never enjoyed eating rabbit. It’s a mental block I know. Your subsitution is interesting and I’ll give it a whirl.
Thanks!
Andrew Petcher said:
I agree with you on the rabbit issue!
ordinaryandbeyond said:
Thanks for stopping by and liking my recent post! This recipe sounds delicious…chocolate? Yes, please! I’ve never heard of eating baby rabbits before though! My goodness! I did grow up on a farm so I probably could do it, but I’ll just stick with a nice chicken substitute. Thanks for something new to add to our menus for the month!
Becoming Madame said:
You are very welcome. I’ll do an update on the substitute soon. The sauce and potato/turnip/apple paddies were delicious!
Kimby said:
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed perusing your archives, as well as commiserating with you on the consumption of baby rabbits. As much as I love food, there are some things that “taste like chicken” where chicken (or pork) serve just as well.
Loved your review on “The Help,” and also your preferences in memoirs! I live in Oklahoma (a far cry from Paris… part South, part Southwest, part Wild West, and primarily Indian territory — plus Molly Wizenberg hails from here.) Looking forward to reading more about your corner of the world and thank you for visiting mine!
Becoming Madame said:
Thank you very much! Looking forward to perusing your site some more too!! Take care!
Theadora Brack said:
Thanks for sharing the family recipe! I love the apple and pork marriage. (For the love of the daring Julia Child, I recently tried to sample a rabbit dish but I just couldn’t do it! My chef friend Laurent forgave me. With a chuckle!)
lynnettedobberpuhl said:
I like rabbit but chicken would much more convenient and might be better received. About how many ounces in a baby rabbit thigh?
Becoming Madame said:
Hi there, thanks for stopping by! In France, the butchers recommend serving one per person, but I’m not sure about the oz. I did find a recipe, though, which called for a rabbit thigh of 4oz. I’d imagine a baby rabbit thigh to be half that. Take care!
susannye said:
Chere Madame … when I moved to Switzerland – the first day of my new job and life – rabbit and polenta was served for lunch! I’m obviously in the minority of your readers or at least comment-ers because I tried it … and have eaten many rabbits since. I particularly like it Provencal style with tomatoes, olives and capers. I may need to try your in-laws version. Enjoy your dinner – All the best, Susan
lolamonkey said:
I am so incredibly jealous of you right now – my husband and I want to move to France but our plans were delayed due to the economy…
If you have the chance, I highly suggest you eat at Chez Bras in Laguiole. He holds three stars (but only in ONE little village) but it was definitely a night of dreams.
Becoming Madame said:
Thanks for the recommendation! I’ll check that out! All my very best for 2012!!
rocksaltuk said:
Yum this looks like a great recipe! I have no idea if my rabbit was a baby or a grown up, but I had no qualms about eating it, even when I was knawing on its ribcage like a cavewoman… Says too much about me, maybe!
Pingback: About that Baby Rabbit Recipe « Becoming Madame
Jenny Lau said:
I definitely would! Sounds delicious
cottlefish said:
When I lived in Nancy, I made a couple of rabbit dishes with meat from the local market – but I didn’t like it enough for it to stick. I think I remember some cuisses with dijon mustard and white wine sauce…
But if I’m eating the adult, I can eat the baby. Mental block of my own, I guess.
cookinginsens said:
It sounds wonderful! I don’t think I’ve seen baby rabbit for sale yet. I’ll have to keep an eye out.
Kellie Kennedy said:
Ya I with you mental block on thumper. Substitute pork or chicken maybe. But love cooking … yes I used to date. A French Guy for one year so I get what u are talking about getting used to all family eating traditions etc.
UncleBobbyJr said:
I am with you and not using cute little bunny rabbits.
The Confluent Kitchen said:
I concur. No way I could eat baby bunny thighs. I would have to substitute them for something I wouldn’t want to pet.
Leaves Heal said:
LOL! Can’t say I blame you on the baby rabbit– I don’t do pork, either, so might try chicken. Thanks for the recipe!
JDazzo said:
I couldn’t eat a baby rabbit either! They are just too cute. And it would be like eating a pet. love your post
oddthots said:
Nope. Cannot eat a bunny “wabbit” — in chocolate or not! Interesting post, though. 🙂
T Hollis said:
My #1 son is visiting soon and this will be dinner one night – can’t wait. But I do agree with you, there will be a substitution for the rabbit. Only the cat eats bunnies around here that she catches nibbling in my garden.
S.P. said:
WHO could ever eat a baby rabbit?! pas moi. We had rabbits as pets- they are just the sweetest little things. No forresty animals for me.
Matthew said:
I realize that my contribution to your blog is late by almost two years, but your understanding of the recipe ingredients may be off by a bit. Noisettes are hazelnuts, but in this recipe it refers to the style in which the rabbit is cut, meaning smallish bite-sized pieces. Lapereau is a young rabbit, not a baby. I realize the distinction may be semantic, but when you substitute a chicken, check the label. Doesn’t it say poussin? Because if it does, that little guy is less than 28 days old. How about substituting porcelet for your lapereau, a piglet? I’m lust having trouble understanding how one is less tolerable then another. Bon Appetit!
Pingback: Vegetables Rabbits Can’t Eat | All Documents