The market · Meat · Southern Europe, France and the north-west

Rabbit

Lean, pale and mild — wild rabbit is gamier and tougher than farmed. A cornerstone of paella valenciana and lapin à la moutarde.

mild · lean · sweet

What to do with it

Classics built on it
ValencianPaella valencianaRice cooked in a thin layer in a wide, shallow pan with chicken, rabbit, flat green beans, butter beans and saffron.No one here has made it yet

Kinds

Wild
Smaller, darker and gamier; braise it.
Farmed
Bigger and paler, tender enough to roast or fry.

Goes with

mustardprunegarlicrosemary

Knowing it

Where to buy
Butchers and game dealers; ask them to joint it. The saddle is the tender, prized piece; the legs take longer.
Worth knowing
Joint it so the saddle can come out of the pan before the legs — it dries out quickly. An hour in brine keeps farmed rabbit juicy. Keep the liver and kidneys to fry and add at the end.

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