Lapin à la Minute

The first time I made lapin à la minute, at a friend’s house, it was very good. My friend liked it so much, in fact, that he invited me back to cook it again—this time for some guests, among them Michel Richard. At the time, Richard was merely the best pastry chef in Los Angeles. Today, at his own Citrus in Hollywood, he is quite possibly the best chef, period. In any case, and for whatever reason, when I made the dish for Richard, et al., it was a disaster. I burned the shallots, scorched