lapin

In rural France it’s still common for farms to raise a few rabbits for the pot, and ready-to-cook rabbits cut in six pieces are sold in every supermarket. The Larousse Encyclopedia recommends always marinating the meat of a domestic rabbit to give it more taste, and throwing in some pig’s blood won’t hurt either. Rabbit is often made into paté or rillettes or baked in a pie, or grilled.

A young rabbit is a lapereau.

There are dozens and dozens of French recipes, including some classics:

lapin à la moutarde: rabbit coated in mustard and baked; the mustard and juices in the pan are then mixed with white wine and cream to make a sauce. Often served with pasta

lapin aux pruneaux: sautéed with bacon, garlic, onions, in a thick sauce with mushrooms and whole prunes

lapin chasseur: ‘hunter’s rabbit’ sautéed with lardons, shallots, garlic, carrots, tomatoes, mushrooms and white wine

lapin coquibus: marinated in white wine, then browned with blanched bacon and pearl onions (grelots) and cooked in stock with new potatoes

lapin gibelotte or lapin en gibelotte: rabbit marinated in white wine, then sautéed and cooked in white wine with peas, tomatoes, green beans and carrots.