Cuisses de Lièvre

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Sharp boning knife or narrow paring knife
• •Larding needle, or a 6-inch metal skewer and narrow chopstick
• •12-inch (30 cm) heavy ovenproof skillet
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Fine-mesh sieve
• •Small saucepan
• •Kitchen twine

Instructions

1. 1

   Trim the young legs

   Examine the legs before doing anything else. They should be modest in size, supple at the joints, and sold expressly as young hare. Pat them dry, then slide a sharp boning knife beneath the accessible white tendons and sheets of silverskin, drawing the blade against the sinew rather than into the flesh. Remove what lifts cleanly without digging trenches through the muscles. An old, heavily muscled leg cannot be made tender by roasting; reserve it for civet or forcemeat, exactly as the source directs.

   Good frozen young hare is an honest choice. Thaw it slowly in the refrigerator, unwrap it, and dry it thoroughly before trimming; uncertain fresh game is no advantage.
2. 2

   Lard along the grain

   Keep the bacon batons cold and firm. Using a larding needle, or a narrow paring knife followed by a metal skewer, make four slim channels through the thickest muscles of each leg, running parallel to the grain and bone. Push one bacon baton through each channel and trim its ends nearly flush so they will not burn. If the bacon softens and breaks, stop and chill it for ten minutes. If a channel tears wider than intended, insert a shorter baton and tie the muscle once with kitchen twine. Ça se rattrape. Season the legs with 1 teaspoon of the salt and ½ teaspoon of the pepper, then let them stand for 20 minutes while the oven heats.

   Wrapping bacon around the outside is easier, but it is not the same technique. Larding puts fat inside the lean muscle, where it protects the meat as the heat moves inward; that step is the dish and must stay.
3. 3

   Brown in butter

   Heat the oven to 425°F (220°C) with a rack in the centre. Pat away any moisture that has gathered on the legs. Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat, and when the foam quiets, brown the legs deeply on every broad surface, working in two batches if crowding prevents clean contact. Allow 2 to 3 minutes per side and move each leg only after it releases readily. Return all four to the skillet, then tuck in the shallots, thyme, and bay leaf. If the butter solids turn black rather than hazelnut brown, transfer the legs and aromatics to a clean skillet; burnt fond cannot be hidden under wine.

   Deep bronze is flavour, black is bitterness. Use your nose as well as your eyes, and lower the heat if the butter smells sharp before the legs have coloured.
4. 4

   Roast like the Râble

   Set the skillet in the oven and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the size of the legs. Turn them after 10 minutes and baste twice with the butter and bacon-enriched fat from the pan. The thickest muscle must reach 160°F (71°C) on an instant-read thermometer; wild hare is not served below a safe temperature. If the surface reaches a rich mahogany before the centre is ready, shield the darkest areas loosely with foil and lower the oven to 375°F (190°C). Lift the finished legs to a warm platter, cover loosely, and rest for 12 minutes while you make the jus.

   Do not judge hare by colour alone. Game remains darker than farmed meat even when cooked, so the thermometer gives the useful answer.
5. 5

   Reduce the pan jus

   Discard the thyme and bay, then spoon off excess fat from the skillet while leaving about 1 tablespoon and every sound brown trace of fond. Set the pan over medium-high heat, add the red wine, and scrape the floor thoroughly with a wooden spoon. Boil until the wine has reduced to about one-third of its original volume and smells round rather than raw. Reserve 2 tablespoons of the stock for adjustment, add the remainder to the skillet, and simmer for 8 to 12 minutes, until the jus has reduced to about ¾ cup and lightly coats a spoon. Strain it through a fine sieve into a small saucepan, pressing the shallots gently before discarding them. If the jus becomes too strong or sticky, loosen it with the reserved stock. If it remains thin, reduce it a little longer.

6. 6

   Mount and serve

   Bring the strained jus just back to a simmer, then remove it from the heat. Cut the remaining 2 tablespoons of cold butter into small pieces and whisk them in one at a time. This is monter au beurre, finishing the sauce with butter so the reduction becomes glossy and softly full rather than greasy. Do not boil it afterward. If the emulsion separates, place 1 teaspoon of cold reserved stock in a clean bowl and whisk in the split sauce a spoonful at a time until it comes together again. Taste and finish with the remaining salt and pepper only as needed. Spoon a shallow ribbon of jus onto the platter, settle the rested legs over it, and coat them lightly with more sauce. Serve the rest alongside. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask the game dealer specifically for young hare or leveret legs. Size alone is not proof, but very large joints with coarse, dark muscle usually want a wet preparation. The source is plain about this: an old animal belongs in civet or forcemeat.
• •Choose unsmoked bacon with a generous seam of firm white fat. Strong smoke overwhelms hare, while thin breakfast bacon melts before it can do the quiet internal basting required here.
• •Unsalted veal stock gives the jus its deepest body, but a gelatinous unsalted chicken stock is a sound home equivalent. Avoid a salty stock cube because reduction concentrates salt with ruthless efficiency.
• •Serve the legs with pommes purée, a celeriac purée, or simply roasted roots, something quiet enough to receive the jus. A firm red Burgundy has the acidity and woodland character to meet the hare without bullying it.
• •Refrigerate leftovers within two hours and keep them for up to two days. Reheat the legs covered in a low oven with a spoonful of stock, and warm the sauce separately without boiling so its butter finish remains intact.

Advance Preparation

• •The legs may be trimmed and larded up to 8 hours ahead. Keep them covered in the refrigerator, then season and let them stand for 20 minutes before browning.
• •The bacon can be cut into fine batons and chilled a day ahead. Cold, firm strips pass through the meat far more cleanly than soft bacon.
• •This roast is best cooked close to serving, but the measured wine, stock, herbs, and shallots can all be waiting. The 12-minute rest gives one cook enough time to finish the pan jus without holding the meat through a second cooking.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 250g)