1821—Civet de Lièvre

Skin and clean the hare, taking care to collect all the blood in so doing. Put the liver aside, after having carefully freed it from the gall-bladder, as also from those portions touching the latter.

Cut up the hare, and put the pieces in a basin with a few tablespoonfuls of brandy and an equal quantity of olive oil, salt, pepper, and an onion cut into thin roundels. Cover and leave to No. 168, Cooked Marinade for Venison for a few hours in the very red wine used for the moistening. Fry one-half lb. of lean bacon, cut into large dice, in butter, and drain it as soon as it is brown. In the same butter brown two fair-sized, quartered onions; add two tablespoonfuls of flour, and cook this roux gently until it acquires a golden tinge. Put the pieces of hare into this roux, after having well dried them, and stiffen them.

Moisten with the wine used for the No. 168, Cooked Marinade for Venison. Add a large faggot, in which place a garlic clove; cover, and leave to cook gently on the side of the stove.

A few minutes before serving, thicken the civet with the reserved blood, which should be gradually heated, and mix therewith a few tablespoonfuls of sauce. Then transfer the pieces of hare, one by one, to another saucepan with the fried pieces of bacon, twenty small, glazed onions, and twenty cooked mushrooms.

Strain the sauce over the whole through a strainer.

Dish in a warm timbale, and surround with heart-shaped croûtons fried in butter at the last moment.