Ingredients
Preparation
- With the rack in the middle position, preheat the oven to 180 °C (350 °F).
- Wrap each piece of rabbit with two slices of pancetta. Tie with butcher's twine.
- In a large skillet, brown the meat in the oil, four pieces at a time. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same skillet, brown the mushrooms until their water has evaporated. Add oil, as needed. Season with salt and pepper. Deglaze with the wine and add the tomatoes, mustard, bay leaves and thyme. Adjust the seasoning and pour into a 38 x 25-cm (15 x 10-inch) baking dish.
- Place the rabbit pieces over the vegetables. Slip a sprig of thyme in each piece of twine. Bake uncovered for about 1 hour or until the meat falls off from the bone.
- Remove the string from the meat and serve with mashed potatoes.
Note
You can cut the rabbits into six pieces (2 legs, 2 shoulders, and the carcass in 2 pieces) or ask your butcher to do it for you. To avoid having a multitude of small bones, remove the ribs before cooking. You can also replace the rabbit with chicken, chicken thighs for example.