Every Christmas Eve, he invites his friends to bunny night. This is his fourth.
It all started when he first moved from France and didn't know very many people. He decided he wanted to invite the people he did know and cook for them on Christmas Eve. Following on from a conversation he'd had about how good rabbit is, he decided rabbit was going to be the theme.
Always one to embrace a challenge, Marc was not going to just cook rabbit, he was going to cook rabbit several ways. Which he did to great acclaim. And so the tradition continues.
This was my third bunny night, and, while I have always been impressed with the myriad of recipes Marc finds and executes to perfection, this year, he nailed it. He chose recipes which meant that he would not be slaving over a hot stove and oven while his guests ate and drank without him.
Marc bought 40 rabbit legs. That's a lot of legs. And, as he said, his, "rabbit legs were much large than he'd expected". He had thought, two per person, that's about right..."but some of these are huge; those rabbits are sporty," Marc tells me.
He may have made things easier for himself this year, but the menu is still incredible and there are still hours behind his creations.
Rillette and a terrine made with rabbit and pork - pork must be used in these as rabbit is too lean to hold together on its own.
Marinated legs ready for the barbeque, one batch with paprika, cumin and mustard, the other with honey and seeded mustard.
And the pièce de la résistance...confit de lapin/rabbit confit. Everything else was delicious. This was sublime. Slow cooked in olive oil, salt, rosemary and garlic, the meat practically fell off the bone and tasted incredible.
Marc has decided that "rabbit is his thing." I think this is an excellent decision and I am absolutely willing to support it.
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