Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Restaurants Best cookbooks 2008: The Complete Robuchon
Posted by Besha Rodell @BeshaRodell on Wed, Nov 12, 2008 at 9:45 PM
Day two of my cook-my-way-though-this-year's-best-cookbooks challenge, and I've finally found a rabbit to satisfy my desire to cook Mustardy Rabbit Pot. How could I resist a recipe with a name like that? Rabbits are not easy to come by in Atlanta - Your Dekalb Farmer's Market tantalizingly has a big sign over part of its meat section reading "Rabbit", but they were out and said they'd be unlikely to have more until Saturday. The folks at Star Provisions said they could order one for me, but it wouldn't be in until Friday. But I finally located one - a local Georgia rabbit at that - at Harry's Farmer's Market in Marietta. The butcher there assured me that they keep rabbit in stock all the time.
So I was able to proceed with a dinner of mustardy rabbit pot and leeks with lardons, both from the wonderful Complete Robuchon by Joel Robuchon and translated by Robin H. R. Bellinger (Knopf, $35). Joel Robuchon is best known as the chef who holds the most total Michelin stars for his restaurants in France and around the world. As such, you would think his cookbooks would be aspirational, trying to convey the culinary acrobatics of his restaurants. Nothing could be farther from the truth - Robuchon writes for the home cook, and these recipes are straightforward and an excellent all-round guide to French home cooking. Looking through the recipes, there was nothing that looked too complex, and much that looked doable and delicious.
The book covers all aspects of French cooking, from the most basic recipes (his recipe for pan-fried pork chops basically says to heat some oil in a pan and cook the pork chop) to more ambitious recipes. But Robuchon understands that technique is all-important, and for all of the recipes, technique is what's emphasized. I can see this being especially heartening to the home cook looking to expand her horizons, or even a young cook just starting out. Who among us couldn't benefit from a reminder from a master on the exact right way to poach an egg? Or cook a pork chop? But then, who wouldn't want a book on hand in case the mood strikes him to cook a roast haunch of young boar?
I chose the mustardy rabbit pot for its wonderful name but also because it is so classically French - I'm a sucker for a sauce that includes meat scrapings, white wine and cream. My only complaint is that one rabbit didn't make a large meal the way one chicken does - if you attempt the recipe below I suggest you plan on only feeding two people, or get two rabbits if you want to feed 3-4.
I will be turning to this book again and again - I can tell it's going to become an indispensable part of my kitchen.
Mustardy Rabbit Pot from The Complete Robuchon
1/4 cup mustard
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon olive oil
salt
pepper
1 rabbit, 2 1/2 lbs, cut into 8 peices
1 cup chicken broth
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 cup creme fraiche
1. Preheat the oven to 460 F. Mix the mustard with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 2 pinches of salt, and 1 pinch of pepper. Brush both sides of each piece of rabbit with this mixture,
2. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a Dutch oven. Lay the pieces of the rabbit in the pot (they need not be in a single layer) and immediately put the pot in the oven, uncovered. Bake for 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes.
3. After 10 minutes, add the broth and thyme to the pot. Cover and cook for 50 minutes, stirring and basting every 10 minutes.
4. Remove the pot from the oven. Remove rabbit to a dish and discard the thyme. Put the pot over high heat, add the wine, and scrape up the cooked on juices with a spatula. Turn the heat to medium and cook for at least 15 minutes, stirring regularly. The sauce should become thick and smooth but should not stick to the pot. Stir in the creme fraiche and simmer for 5 minutes. Taste for salt and pepper. If you like, you can also stir in another tablespoon mustard. Serve the rabbit with the sauce.
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