Civet de lièvre, jugged hare in red wine

Hare marinated overnight in red wine and braised gently for hours, until the dark meat falls from the fork. The sauce, bound with blood or liver, is deep, velvety and gamey — a winter classic that demands time.

Beef & Game Category

30 MIN Prep time

130 MIN Cook time

4 people Servings

Ingredients

For the marinade:
1 oven-ready hare (approx. 1.5 kg), cut into pieces
750 ml robust red wine
2 onions, in rings
2 carrots, sliced
2 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves, 4 juniper berries, 4 cloves
2 sprigs thyme

For the braising pot:
120 g streaky bacon, diced
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
250 ml chicken stock
200 g brown mushrooms, quartered
Sea salt, black pepper
optional: 2 tbsp hare's blood or 1 puréed hare liver to bind

Sommelier's tip: The marinade and the braise need a robust, dry red wine. The Sarabande belongs in the glass; if you use it for the marinade too, the plate and the glass share the same tone.

≈ 770 kcal per serving

Civet de lièvre, jugged hare in red wine

Preparation

Marinate overnight

Combine the hare pieces with red wine, vegetables and spices and marinate covered for 12 hours in the fridge. Remove the meat, pat dry, catch the marinade through a sieve.

Sear

Render the bacon in butter and sear the hare pieces in it for 8 minutes vigorously. Dust with 2 tbsp flour and toast briefly.

Deglaze

Fill up with the strained marinade and the stock, add the marinated vegetables and bring to the boil.

Braise long

Braise covered over low heat for 2 hours, until the meat is tender; after 1.5 hours add the mushrooms.

Bind the sauce

Pull the pot off the heat and bind the sauce with hare's blood or puréed liver — do not boil again, or it will curdle. Season to taste and serve.

Why this wine?

Our Sarabande from LaSuite aux Conseillans is the wine for civet de lièvre: its ripe dark fruit and mature tannin pick up the gamey sauce and carry its long finish. This Merlot-led red matures for eighteen months in barrique and has the depth that such a dark braise needs.

Good to know

Tips & insights

Marinate the hare for at least a day in the red wine with vegetables and spices; this makes the meat tender and aromatic.
Pat the drained pieces well dry before braising and sear them thoroughly.
Pass the marinade through a sieve and use it as the braising liquid; it carries all the aroma.
To bind, you can use hare's blood or a puréed liver; stir either in off the heat so the sauce does not curdle.
If you prefer not to use blood, bind the sauce with the roux and a little cold butter.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which wine goes with civet de lièvre?

A mature, deep red with ripe tannin that stands up to the dark, thickened sauce. We drink our Sarabande from LaSuite aux Conseillans with it, a Merlot-led red from the Bordeaux region aged for eighteen months in barrique.

Why does the hare need to marinate overnight?

Over twelve hours in red wine with vegetables and spices, the meat takes on flavour and becomes more tender during braising. The marinade is then strained and forms the base of the sauce.

How do I thicken the sauce without blood?

A puréed hare liver thickens the sauce just as well and gives it its typical depth. In both cases, take the pot off the heat first: if the sauce boils again afterwards, it will split.

What is served with civet?

Traditionally wide ribbon noodles, mashed potatoes or croutons fried in butter to soak up the sauce. Nothing more is needed; the dish is rich enough.

The wine to pair