Hay-Baked Rabbit (Lapin Cuit au Foin)

mains rabbit french technique

Adapted from Chef Simon’s hay-baking technique, “Lapin cuit au foin”, on chefsimon.com.

Ingredients

  • Rabbit and aromatics

  • 1 rabbit, hind legs boned and saddle halved crosswise (reserve the rib cage and front legs for stock)

  • 1–2 large carrots, chopped

  • 1–2 onions, chopped

  • 3 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed

  • A small bunch of fresh thyme

  • A sprig or two of rosemary

  • 25g (about 2 tbsp) butter

  • 2.5cl (about 1 1/2 tbsp) vegetable oil, clarified butter, or goose/duck fat

  • Salt and pepper

  • 1dl (scant 1/2 cup) water or dry white wine, for deglazing

  • 1/4 liter (1 cup) brown poultry or veal stock, enriched by browning the reserved rabbit carcass

  • For the hay bed

  • A generous quantity of food-safe, pesticide-free hay, thoroughly rinsed

  • Straw, for covering

Directions

  • Prep

  • Bone the hind legs and trim away any loose bone fragments. Halve the saddle crosswise. Reserve the rib cage and front legs for the stock.

  • Rinse the hay thoroughly in several changes of water.

  • Searing

  • Season the rabbit pieces with salt and pepper. Sear them, rounded side down first, in the oil, clarified butter, or goose/duck fat, browning on all sides without drying them out. Cook the legs and saddle halves in separate batches so the pan isn’t crowded.

  • Remove the meat. In the same pan, sweat the carrots, onions, and garlic. Deglaze with the white wine or water, scraping up the browned bits.

  • Hay-baking

  • Make a bed of the rinsed hay in a heavy, ovenproof pot. Lay the legs and saddle halves on top.

  • Pour the deglazed pan juices and vegetables over the meat, then tuck in the rosemary and thyme.

  • Cover with a thick layer of straw, then foil, then the pot’s lid, sealing it as airtight as possible.

  • Bake at 170°C (340°F): about 1 hour for the legs, 1 hour 15 minutes for the saddle halves. If cooking both in one pot, remove the legs after about an hour and return the saddle halves for roughly another 15 minutes.

  • Sauce and serving

  • Lift out the meat and discard the hay, straw, and vegetables. Deglaze the pot with a little water or wine, strain, and reduce.

  • Add the brown stock and reduce again to a light, flavorful jus.

  • Serve the rabbit with the jus spooned over.