Lapin avec de la moutarde de Cajun

 

This recipe was transcribed from my paternal Grandmother's dairy. It was written in Cajun French and dated May 1888. That would have made my Grandmother about 18 when she put it in her book.

Lapin avec de la moutarde de Cajun, champignons et herbes

Rabbit with Cajun Mustard, mushrooms and Herbs

2 Rabbits cut up

2 cups cream of the morning (I always took this to mean separated that morning from the morning’s milking I use heavy whipping cream)

1 jar Cajun mustard (I use Zataran’s now don’t know what they used back then - any whole seed mustard will work so long as it isn’t sweet)

mushrooms, what ever you have in the root cellar or can gather fresh about 1 lb (I have used just about every kind I could get at the market they all go well in this dish)

fresh basil, parsley, oregano, and savory

black pepper, white pepper, and salt to taste

1 cup plan flour

2 kitchen spoons lard (about ½ cup cooking oil)

dredge rabbit pieces in flour seasoned with the salt and peppers.

brown in lard in a heavy skillet then place in a baking pan or Dutch oven. Pour out leftover lard add washed and cut up mushrooms and cook a bit until soft but not mushy add herbs and cream heat to boiling remove from stove set aside. Put a big spoon (tablespoon) of Cajun Mustard on each piece of rabbit in the pan be sure to get it on the covered up pieces. Pour the cream over the rabbit and place in a slow oven (325-350) or on hot coals in the fireplace in you use a Dutch oven. Cook until rabbit is tender about 1 hour for pen raised rabbit about 2 ½ for wild old rabbits.

I serve this with rice or mashed potatoes. My Grandmother would serve this over big thick slices of fresh bread that had been toasted at the fireplace.