Hare royale with blood sauce

‘Hare royale, lièvre à la royale, also known as ‘royal hare’, was the first dish we presented on DWDD, at the end of 2010. The classic preparation is one of the most difficult there is, and moreover, hare is appreciated only by true game enthusiasts. Although I am happy to share recipes, I am cautious in this case: so much can go wrong with this classic preparation! Not least because you also work with the hare’s blood… It is definitely a dish for experienced diners and cooks who are willing to study it thoroughly before getting started.’

Procedure
Empty the hare and reserve the heart, lungs, liver and blood. Add the cognac to the blood to prevent it from coagulating. Separate the forelegs with the shoulders and the hind legs; remove the head with the neck so that the back remains whole with the fore- and hind legs.

Goose fat
Grease the inside of a cast-iron cocotte with goose fat. Cut the larding fat into 2 mm-thick slices; cover the bottom of the cocotte with a layer of larding fat. Place the hare in the pan with its back facing down, together with the fore- and hind legs; cover with the remaining larding fat.

Cooking
Peel the carrot and cut it into quarters. Peel the onions. Stud the onions with the cloves. Peel the garlic and shallots. Tie the bay leaf, thyme and parsley together with kitchen twine to make a bouquet garni. Add the carrot, onion, garlic, shallots and bouquet garni to the hare. Add the vinegar and wine. Add pepper and salt. Cover the pan and cook over medium heat for 3 hours.

Farce
During the hare’s first cooking period, prepare the farce. Cut the larding fat. Peel the garlic and shallots. Process the hare’s heart, liver and lungs with the bacon, garlic and shallots in a food processor until you have a smooth farce.

Bring the red Burgundy to the boil for the coulis.

Strain
After the prescribed time, remove the cocotte from the heat and carefully place the pieces of hare on a dish; leave the garnishes in the cocotte. Place a sieve over another pan and pour the remaining ingredients from the cocotte into it. Press the contents of the sieve with a wooden masher so that all the juices are released to obtain a coulis. Mix this coulis with the farce and gradually stir in the boiled wine.

Continue cooking
Pour the coulis with the farce and wine back into the cleaned cocotte. Place the pieces of hare with the bones in the cocotte and continue cooking over medium heat for 1.5 hours with the lid on the pan. In the meantime, remove the fat floating on the coulis with a ladle by pressing the rounded side slightly into the sauce so that the fat runs into the ladle.

Blood sauce
For the blood sauce, skim the coulis once more. Fifteen minutes before serving, loosen the blood with a fork and immediately pour it into the cocotte. The sauce binds best by moving the cocotte. Season with pepper and salt.

Remove the pieces of hare from the cocotte and carefully remove the bones. Place the meat on a dish and pour the sauce over it. Serve with mashed potatoes or pasta and a fresh salad.

DWDD cooks with Kranenborg
Robert Kranenborg
€24,99
Kosmos Uitgevers