Rabbit with Prunes and Mustard Sauce

Outside of Italian butcher shops, French bistros and the Appalachian hinterlands, rabbit is rarely found as a fresh meat in this country. Of the possible reasons for America's gastronomical shunning are: this nation's desire to proudly detach from the Old World, disassociation with our hill-dwelling (and meth cooking) countrymen, and the hare's adaptability to cultural icon status and domestication. We don't smile politely in other words on the idea of slaughtering the Easter Bunny or eating Bugs.

None of these delusional notions should prevent us from welcoming this extraordinarily tasty creature into our kitchens, as rabbit is delicious and more packed with more nutritional value (and less cholesterol) than skinless chicken breast. Two local restaurants have excelled in hare preparation - Williamsburg's DuMont pan fries the meat with a light crust and serves warm atop dressed salad greens, while Prune, in the East Village, cooks the rabbit in a sweet brown sauce laced with that restaurant's eponymous dried fruit.

The recipe below takes a cue from this sweet and savoury mix, while adding a mustard cream sauce typical to French cuisine. Although below we recommend sides of polenta and greens, rabbit is also very nice with a vegetable protein such as a white bean salad or stewed fava beans. Drink a non-oak aged Chardonnay with this dish, or a crisp and grassy Sancerre.

RABBIT WITH PRUNES AND MUSTARD SAUCE

1 1/2 lbs. rabbit, cut into pieces / 1 T. flour / 1 T. each olive oil & softened butter / 1 onion, finely chopped / 6 oz. pitted prunes, roughly chopped / 4 oz. fromage frais / 1 1/2 T. Dijon mustard / seasoning to taste (thyme and rosemary or parsley work well)

1. Place rabbit pieces in a paper bag with the flour and shake to coat evenly.
2. Heat oil and butter in a large pan and fry rabbit until golden brown all over.
3. Add onions and prunes to pan and pour over just enough water to cover. Season generously and simmer for 45 minutes until rabbit is tender.
4. Remove the rabbit with a slotted spoon and keep warm. Stir fromage frais and mustard into the pan and simmer until reduced slightly. Spoon the sauce over the rabbit and serve with creamy polenta and sauteed greens.