Lièvre à La Royale

Name: Lièvre à La Royale
Yield: Serves 6 to 8
Ingredients: 1 small rabbit, 2 to 2 1/2 pounds (about 1 kg), quartered; 1 hare, about 1 3/4 pounds (800 g), quartered and the blood collected if possible and kept in the fridge; 1 chunk bacon, about 9 ounces (250 g); 1 veal trotter (ideally) or 2 pig’s trotters (not the leg, just the foot, about 8 inches/20 cm long); 2 large carrots, peeled; 2 celery stalks; 1 bouquet garni of 1 sprig each parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorn; 1 (750 ml) bottle sturdy red wine such as Merlot or Cabernet; 1/4 cup (60 ml) brandy; Salt and pepper; 1/4 cup (25 g) finely chopped French shallots; 3 tablespoons unsalted butter; Leaves from 4 sprigs thyme; 1 bay leaf; 4 juniper berries; 1 clove garlic, minced; 6 tablespoons (90 ml) brandy; 2 cups (500 ml) sturdy red wine such as Merlot or Cabernet; 1 tablespoon cocoa powder; 3 cups (750 ml) reserved cooking jus from first day; 10 French shallots, finely diced; 3 cloves garlic, minced; 1/4 cup (55 g) unsalted butter; 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley; Salt and pepper; 6 to 8 slices fresh duck or goose foie gras, each about 3 1/2 ounces (100 g) and 3/4 to 1 inch (2 to 2.5 cm) thick; Salt and pepper; 12 ounces (340 g) caul fat, thawed in the refrigerator if frozen and soaked in cold water until it can be gently stretched flat; 1 or 2 fresh or canned black truffles, thinly sliced (optional); Unsalted butter for baking dish

January 24, 2012

In Quebec, only two real game meats can be legally sold, caribou from the great north and hare snared in the winter. The taste of these meats is surprising at first, the incarnation of the word “gamey,” but like truffles or blue cheese, it becomes what you crave. Many little classic Parisian restaurants offer this dish in season, and there are as many ways to cook it as there are chefs. The basics are wild hare (lièvre), red wine, shallots, thyme, and garlic. The rest can vary. At Joe Beef, we use both hare and rabbit. D’Artagnan (www.dartagnan.com) ships in-season Scottish game hare that we have tried. It’s gamey all right, but it’s the real McCoy. If you can’t find a hare, you can use all rabbit. Count on two days to prepare this recipe. It should yield six to eight portions, and it freezes well.

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