Name: Hare in Cream
Prep time: 1 h 20 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 3 h 50 min
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients: 0.3 kg hare meat; 0.5 pcs onion; 0.5 pcs carrot; 0.25 pcs parsley root; 25 g celeriac; 15 g butter; 7.5 ml sunflower oil; 4 g plain flour; 0.125 pcs lemon; 0.75 pcs bay leaves; 1.25 pcs allspice; 2 pcs black pepper; 0.5 teaspoon salt; 200 ml water; 100 ml whipping cream; 7.5 ml lemon juice; 0.25 teaspoon caster sugar; 0.25 teaspoon wholegrain mustard; 200 g potatoes; parsley

Step by step process

Preparation

1
Clean the hare, cut into 4 portions if necessary, and salt all over.
2
Peel and finely dice or slice the onion, carrot, parsley root, and celery.
3
Wash the lemon, squeeze the juice from half of it, and finely grate the zest.
TIP:
Grate only the yellow zest from the lemon and discard the white pith. Cut the lemon in half and juice it into a bowl. To minimize splashing, use a fork and hold the half firmly while squeezing.

Cooking

4
In a pot, melt half the butter with the oil and sear the hare on all sides until golden. Then remove the meat and set aside.
5
Add the remaining butter to the same pot, add the chopped vegetables, and sauté, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables begin to brown.
6
Add the plain flour and briefly cook it to form a light roux.
TIP:
How to make a smooth pale roux: heat the fat, stir in the flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden. Then gradually add the liquid.
7
Return the meat to the pot, add the spices (bay leaf, allspice, whole peppercorns), and deglaze with water. Also pour in the lemon juice and the grated zest.
8
Cover and simmer over low heat for about 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meat is tender and the sauce is well reduced. During simmering, add a little water if necessary to prevent the base from burning.
9
When the meat is tender, remove it from the pot and discard the spices.
10
Blend the vegetable base with the sauce until smooth, or pass it through a sieve.
11
Stir the whipping cream into the smooth sauce, optionally add a teaspoon of mustard and a little sugar. Briefly simmer the sauce until it thickens to the desired consistency. Season with salt, lemon juice, or additional sugar to taste.
12
Return the meat to the sauce and warm through for a few minutes over low heat.

Serving

13
Divide the boiled potatoes between plates and place the hare on top, pouring over the cream sauce.
14
Garnish the finished dish with chopped flat-leaf parsley and serve immediately.