Seasonal Recipe of the Week – Braised rabbit, sweet & sour black radish, mustard mousseline, by Marcellin Marc

Ingredients
(Serves eight)

For the rabbit
8 shoulders of rabbit
1tbs chopped thyme
1tbs chopped rosemary
2 sprigs of thyme
2 sprigs of rosemary
Salt and pepper to season
100g caul fat
1 litre duck fat
3 garlic cloves
3 bay leaves

For the sweet & sour black radish
1 black radish
100ml honey
200ml water
200ml sherry vinegar

For the wholegrain mustard mousseline
3 egg yolks
250ml vegetable oil
1tsp Dijon mustard
2tsp wholegrain mustard
1tsp sherry vinegar
125ml whipped cream
Salt and pepper to season

Method
For the rabbit Place the rabbit shoulders on a cutting board. From each one remove the blade and arm bone, making sure you leave the remaining small bone in place.

Rub in the salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary and then roll each shoulder into a ball with the little bone sticking out, and wrap it in the caul fat.

Put the shoulders in a deep ovenproof pan along with the sprigs of thyme and rosemary, duck fat, garlic and bay leaves. Cook for four hours at 90°C. Drain the shoulders and then colour them under a grill for about 10 minutes.

For the sweet & sour black radish Slice the black radish very thinly (about 1mm). Mix together the water, honey and vinegar and add the sliced radish. Boil gently for 2 minutes. Set aside to cool.

For the wholegrain mustard mousseline Make a mayonnaise base with the egg yolks, vegetable oil, mustard, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper together and then slowly fold in the whipped cream. Adjust the seasoning to taste.

To plate Carefully place the slices of black radish in the circle around the edge of each place. Place the rabbit in the middle. Mould three quenelles of the mousseline and place around the rabbit.
Marcellin Marc, head chef, Clos Maggiore, London

Recommended wine
With this dish from the Loire a wine from the same area should go very well. Rabbit is a soft and delicate meat and therefore requires something quite soft and delicate too. It would be possible to serve this dish with a white Chenin blanc from Anjou but I would prefer it with Pinot Noir from Sancerre, which will have bright fresh red fruit flavours, soft tannins and crisp acidity.
Ronan Sayburn MS is director of wine and spirits at Hotel du Vin