Luc: Our vacation to Ibiza, Spain inspired this recipe for Le Lapin à la Moutarde  (Mustard Rabbit).  Foodies will recognize it as  an example of classic French bistro cuisine, just like Boeuf Bourguignon or Soupe à l’Oignon (Onion Soup), which I will cover in later food posts.

However, rabbit is a also classic Spanish dish,  normally prepared in a stew with tomatoes, cloves, onions, thyme, tarragon and celery. The rabbit dish that I ate in Ibiza at La Moorea Restaurante was simply grilled on charcoal and served with potatoes. Too bad they didn’t rub it with spicy paprika before grilling.  I found this version more refined in taste, tender and an easy recipe to prepare.

In my instructions,  I suggest you debone the rabbit before cooking. For someone who has never done this before, deboning might be a little difficult  and time-intensive. If you don’t feel up to it, just cut the rabbit in 4 pieces. It will be just as tasty. The drawback? You and your diners will have to deal with the small bones when eating their rabbit.

Note from Alison: If you do decide to debone, please don’t use the bony carcass to scare the wits out of your significant other while said other is working on her laptop or otherwise distracted.  The damn thing looks like something from Aliens, especially when accompanied by an evil “HHHHHCCCCHHH!”

Luc: LOL. Yes, that’s why I like to buy my rabbit with the head still attached. Quite spectacular.

Hope you enjoy this recipe. Would love to hear back from you.

And please share any variations or ideas to “improve upon perfection.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dijon mustard
• 3 Tbsp herbes de Provence
• 2 Tbsp french shallots
• 1 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 Tbsp parsley
• 2 Tbsp mustard seed
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice
• 3 Tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Fully debone the rabbit (lapin)
2. Mix mustard and herbs of provence
3. Generously brush the rabbit pieces with mustard mix
4. Salt and pepper
5. Heat olive oil and brown rabbit pieces, set aside
6. Lower heat and brown shallots
7. Add chicken stock and wine, bring to boil
8. Scrape brown bits
9. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes
10. Return rabbit to the pan, cover and cook for about 45 minutes to 1 hour (sometimes, I cook the rabbit up to 1 1/2 hour, until really tender)
11. Remove rabbit and strain sauce
12. Heat sauce and add parsley and mustard seed
13. Bring to boil and simmer 5 minutes
14. Add lemon juice; salt and pepper to taste
15. Pour sauce over the rabbit pieces and serve with either bow spaghetti or Hot Paprika and Cinnamon French Fries.

Luc: To be fair, this is not really my recipe.  It is taken from the amazing meal we ate at La Torreta Restaurante in Ibiza, Spain.  Chef David Norman is an inspiration.  Paprika on french fries isn’t much of a stretch, but many of you may hesitate adding cinnamon. Don’t.  The combination of flavors is amazing. And for even more of a novelty, instead of Idaho, or for us Canadians, PEI (Prince Edward Island) potatoes, try substituting sweet potatoes.  This is when you really get the full taste experience, the sweetness of the potato, the duskiness of the cinnamon, the explosion of spicy paprika.

Alison: You are making me hungry.  You know, writing about food is definitely not as fun as eating it …  so finish this post and go whip up some fries, man!

Luc: Giving credit to Alison, she is the one who did the layout, programming and populated the blog. My role is basically to argue, add personal commentary and as much as possible make fun of, hum…, insert some humor into it. This would be a good example. Alison was nice enough to prepare the copy of this recipe for me to complete. I think I will leave as is. And, maybe not… Well, at least I know I better sign off and go make those fries. As always, let me know if you liked this recipe and/or if you have some variation to share.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 pound fresh potatoes, peeled and sliced into fry form (ideally PEI potatoes or for a tasty variation, substitute sweet potatoes) or a 1/2-pound bag of frozen french fries (ideally Cavendish)
• x amount olive oil (Luc: Well, enough for deep frying)
• x tsp spicy Spanish paprika (Luc: Just enough for sprinkling)
• x tsp ground cinnamon (Luc: Again, just enough for light sprinkling)
• 3 tsp coarse sea salt (Luc: Yes, “3 tsp” in Alison’s case, but for any normal individual, to taste)

Instructions

1. Luc does this
2. Luc does that
3. And yet something else
4. Prep work, heat oil, fry baby fry, paper towel drain etc.
5. Alison eats fries directly from bowl before being formally served
6. Goes well with Lapin à la moutarde another option: barbeque ribs

May 2009
[ Ibiza Photo Gallery ]

Alison: Ibiza has to be one of the most challenging locations I have ever been to when it comes to understanding the geography.

The issue for me was confusing terminology.  But then, unlike me, you are probably smarter than a fifth grader.

It doesn’t help that to start, the island not only shares the same name as one of its five municipalities but is ALSO  the name of the capital.  Then there is the official Catalonian translation versus the Spanish translation … Plus, within Ibiza Town itself, there are two sections.

I am embarrassed to admit that it took me forever to get this straight.  I thought a quick reference might be useful to future Ibiza travelers.

Ibiza:

• Spanish name of the island
• Spanish pronunciation with a hard “z”
• Catalonian pronunciation “z” becomes soft “th” or Ibitha

Eivissa:

• Catalonian and official name of the island

Ibiza Town:

• Island capital and one of five municipalities

Vila d’Eivissa or Vila

• Catalonian name for the island capital and municipality

Ibiza Town / Vila d’Eivissa divides into two main parts:

1. Old Town or  Dalt Vila (apt literal translation  “Upper Town” with the narrow streets winding ever upward)  and
2. Eixample, the modern part.

May 2009
[ Ibiza Photo Gallery ]

La Torreta Chef David Roman beams broadly after coming to our table to receive congratulations and well-deserved thanks.

Alison: Luc has a thing about only eating at places with table clothes. Luckily, not an issue as he also has a knack for finding really good restaurants. Me, not always so lucky – as in the “Mexican” restaurant I insisted we try.

Should have known it would be a wash when we were greeted by a Scandinavian hostess. Had to be the worst meal of the trip. Realllyy bad. But doesn’t every vacation have one of those meals, where you end up laughing so much that it becomes a form of entertainment – and a story? So you can count on me for that – finding those gems.

Luc: Easy to avoid this restaurant, it’s the only Mexican one in Eivissa. Sadly.

Alison: But for that one exception, the food in Ibiza was very good. Two places stand out as heads above the rest.

Warm goat's cheese salad at La Torreta Restaurante - a work of art and simply wonderful.

La Torreta Restaurante, Plaza Dalt Vila

Alison: In our book, La Torreta Restaurante rates as a four-star restaurant and was a surprising find, tucked away within the walls of the town’s landmark castle (more on that later…).

And thank god, I was dehydrated and starving. Luc had already turned down two other options and it felt like we were going in circles. But it was worth the effort! We each had the table d’ hôte, selecting different dishes. Even the bread rolls were amazing —crusty on the outside, soft and yeasty inside., and simply yummy, with a choice of whole grain or white with black olives.

My mouth waters just thinking about our meal. Chef David Roman is a master at presentation. Chef Roman’s culinary creations are a revelation. If I have to describe each dish, I might cry. Yum, yum. And Lubo, our waiter, was kind enough to let us meet Chef Roman and pay our compliments.

Restaurante Moorea, Playa d’en Bossa

Alison: We came upon Restaurante Moorea, Playa d’en Bossa, just wandering the opposite direction from the main area of town. I think we went a total of 3 times during our trip, including the last night. Aside from good food, our waiter Fabrizio was also an attraction. Very personable – and remembered our names on the second visit. I still can taste my ceviche and remember my gluttonous glee when Fabrizio brought out my grilled sea bass, in its entirety, still sizzling in the skillet.

Luc: I agree, this restaurant was good and inviting. My only reservation was the grilled rabbit. Rabbit is a local dish but what I was served wasn’t cook enough. Bit tough and hard to pull away from the bone.

Pizzeria Dausol and Cañas y Barro

Alison: Also of note, family-run Restaurante Pizzeria Dausol, which was located across from our hotel, and Cañas y Barro, a cerveceria/restaurante situated halfway between downtown and our hotel. I had an amazingly beautiful entree of prosciutto on a half pineapple. Gorgeous – and delicious.

Luc: On Cañas y Barro, my problem with this one is the scenery from the terrasse: the view of a wasteland across the street.

La Brasa

Alison: One place that is truly beautiful at night, a magical outdoor garden, is La Brasa, located at Calle de Pere Sala, 3, just a stone’s throw from the Plaza del Parc . But Luc and I were not impressed by our paella.

Luc: In this case, I think it was just a bad menu selection. The atmosphere, the “color” and overall candle light romantic atmosphere is worth the visit. I just would go again and choose something else. When you see a lot of locals in family gatherings (mainly adults) it’s usually a good sign. Beside, in this case, the romance of the place and being with your love one is many times worth the tab.

Alison: Oh, and we can’t forget to mention the food at the Hotel Garbi. The breakfast, which is included, is more than ample.  The buffet is extensive – you get everything from croissants and chocolatines to cereals, toast and buns, yogurt, scrambled and sunnyside up eggs to custom omelettes – and takes into account the main preferences of the nationalities that visit, like pickled fish, sausages, beans,  and cold cuts.  Very nice fruit selection and fresh juices.  Coffee is a Nescafé machine, which was disappointing.  As for dinner, cost was $25 Cdn each and definitely *not* worth it, especially compared to the quality and prices elsewhere.  The staff are cordial and professional.

Important: Don’t be surprised to receive complementary glasses of liqueur at the end of a meal. Hierbas Ibicencas is a traditional liqueur offered as a gesture of hospitality by many of the local restaurants. The name says it all: herbal. Tastes a bit like rosemary, thyme and juniper berries (initial impression – before reading about it online). We liked it so much, we brought a bottle home for ourselves and one as a gift for the friend that cat-sat for us.

May 10, 2009
[ Ibiza Photo Gallery ]

Tanner at work just inside Dalt Vila lends air of authenticity.

Alison: Yeah! More food! And, oh, yeah, some culture mixed in. Actually, a lot of culture. Seriously, the typical Ibiza Medieval Fair event schedule is jam packed. Get ready to do a slow and steady climb up Dalt Vila be surrounded by people.

Wear comfortable shoes, as the streets are cobblestone. And take some water. You are not going anywhere fast.

Apparently, the three-day event attracts around 100,000 visitors. Yikes. Half of that number must have decided to take go the same day we did.

Best way to manage the crowd: Occasionally remove yourself from traffic to get a closer look at the many wares offered in the booths lining the narrow streets. Or, get distracted by a sale sign and duck into a shop.

Luc: Yes, and leaving me stranded. Here I am taking a picture, turned around and … she’s gone!

I can assure you, when you are in crowd this size and in a new environment, you don’t want to lose anyone.

You will never find her… until you start looking around for shops. I do and sure enough, there’s this shop with leather bags in the window. I look in and here is Alison in an intense negotiating session with the shopkeeper. And after all that, she comes out empty-handed. I invite anyone to let me know if there is a cure for this. (Feel free to leave a comment below).

Tempted by the pottery and wonder if it is "just for show."

Alison: The fair is held the second week of May. 2009 marked the 10th anniversary of Dalt Vila’s designation by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. Apparently UNESCO also considers it the most well-preserved acropolis in the Mediterranean. And the site really is quite amazing.

A rather magical transformation happened even before we entered the walled city. Heralded by acrobats and trumpeters, we passed through the iron gate and were immediately in another world. Potters, tanners and weavers dressed in period costume were busy at work.

My first thought: Are those pots for sale? (A question that will repeat in our trip to Barcelona … ).

We occasionally stopped to get a closer look.

Luc: Occasionally…

Alison: Luc tempted by the mounds of spices, and me by the extensive selection of olives available. Purchases included more paprika and a selection of olives from J. Pericas, a family firm around since 1964, and which like many of the sellers, is a feature and area fairs and festivals.

While there is definitely a degree of schmaltz that comes with a 21st century rendition of medieval living, it is easy to overlook and caught up in the fun. Kids were really having a great time as there are a lot of street musicians and other entertainers putting on a show as you weave your way up through the streets.

Also an amazing show with falconers, the birds flying just overhead, low enough to startle the adults and elicit squeals of delight (or fear) from the little ones.

View from the top of Dalt Vila, where other reward after long climb through Medieval Fair-crowded streets was a ledge to sit on and a cold beer.

And once we get to the top of Dalt Vila, a reward awaits: beer and what passes as the medieval approximation of a food court. So many different offerings. But by that time, I was past hungry and just wanted a place to sit, sip my beer and observe. We found a great spot overlooking the coast. Breathtaking.

But alas, what comes up, must come down. Just to ensure I know how far we have come – and have yet to go – Luc takes a picture. I am tempted to see if we can” jump a fence,” so to speak, to skip a couple of levels. No such luck.