Mousses et Mousselines de Lièvre

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Food processor with an 8-cup (1.9 litre) bowl
• •Fine-mesh sieve and firm flexible scraper
• •Electric hand mixer or balloon whisk
• •Four 1-cup (240 ml) ramekins or one 1-quart (950 ml) mould
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Instant-read thermometer

Instructions

1. 1

   Chill the equipment

   Put the processor bowl, blade, a mixing bowl, and the hare in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes. They should become very cold but the meat must not freeze solid. Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter four 1-cup (240 ml) ramekins for Mousselines, or one 1-quart (950 ml) mould for a shared Mousse, taking the butter right to the rims. Set the moulds in a deep roasting pan.

2. 2

   Make the forcemeat

   Process the cold hare with the salt, white pepper, and nutmeg in short pulses until finely minced. Scrape down the bowl, then add the egg whites a little at a time while pulsing until the meat becomes a smooth, sticky paste. Stop whenever the bowl loses its chill. Warm forcemeat turns greasy and cooks grainy; if that begins, set the bowl over ice for 10 minutes before continuing. Do not press ahead with a warm mixture.

3. 3

   Pass through the sieve

   Press the forcemeat through a fine-mesh sieve with a firm flexible scraper, leaving every thread of sinew behind. This replaces the classical tamis, and it is not ceremony: a processor makes the hare small, but the sieve makes it fine. Scrape the purée into the chilled mixing bowl and nest that bowl over ice while you prepare the cream.

4. 4

   Half-whip the cream

   Reserve 2 tablespoons (30 ml / 30 g) of the measured cream. Whisk the rest just to demi-fouettée, half-whipped cream: it should form soft folds, hold the faint trace of the whisk, and still slide slowly when the bowl tilts. Never take it to stiff peaks. If it becomes firm or clumpy, don't discard it. Ça se rattrape: whisk in the reserved liquid cream a teaspoon at a time until the cream is smooth and supple again.

5. 5

   Fold and test

   Fold one-third of the half-whipped cream into the cold hare purée to loosen it, then fold in the remainder in two additions with broad strokes from the bottom of the bowl. Stop as soon as no white streaks remain. Poach a teaspoonful in barely trembling water for 3 to 4 minutes, then cut and taste it. If it is dense, fold in any unused reserved cream one teaspoon at a time; if it leaks liquid or feels greasy, chill the mixture over ice for 10 minutes and fold it gently back together. Correct the seasoning before filling the moulds.

6. 6

   Fill the moulds

   Spoon the mixture into the buttered moulds without packing it down, filling individual ramekins about three-quarters full or bringing the large mould to within 2 cm of its rim. Smooth the surface with a wet spoon and cover each mould loosely with buttered parchment or foil. The covering prevents a dry skin while leaving the mousse room to rise slightly.

7. 7

   Cook in bain-marie

   Pour hot water into the roasting pan until it reaches halfway up the moulds, then transfer the pan to the oven. Cook the individual Mousselines for 25 to 30 minutes, or the large Mousse for 40 to 45 minutes. The water should merely quiver. If bubbles begin climbing the moulds, lower the oven and add a little cool water to the pan at once; ça se rattrape before the forcemeat tightens. The mousse is ready when it is evenly set, springs gently at the centre, and reaches 160°F (71°C).

8. 8

   Rest and unmould

   Lift the moulds from the bain-marie and rest them for 7 minutes. Run a thin knife around each edge, place a warmed platter or plate over the mould, and invert decisively. Leave it in place for a few seconds before lifting. If a mousseline clings, cover the upturned mould with a cloth dipped in hot water for 15 seconds, then try again. Spoon any melted butter from the mould around the base and serve at once. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Order boneless hare from a game butcher and ask for clean saddle and hind-leg meat. Frozen hare is an honest choice and often arrives in better condition than game that has lingered in a display; thaw it slowly in the refrigerator and dry it well.
• •Hare and rabbit are not interchangeable in flavour. Rabbit will follow the same mousse grammar, but it makes Mousses et Mousselines de Lapin, paler, milder, and distinctly another dish.
• •Keep everything cold until the moulds enter the oven. Salt extracts the proteins that bind the forcemeat, while warmth smears its fat and weakens that structure. Cold is technique here, not fuss.
• •The poached teaspoon is your last chance to judge seasoning and texture. Do it. Hare varies in strength, and a mixture that tastes bold while raw cannot be judged safely or accurately.
• •Serve a restrained red with game character, such as mature Burgundy or northern Rhône Syrah. The mousse is delicate in texture but not timid in flavour.

Advance Preparation

• •The sieved hare and egg-white forcemeat can be prepared up to 6 hours ahead, pressed under a cover directly against its surface, and kept very cold. Half-whip and fold in the cream only when you are ready to fill the moulds.
• •The cooked mousse may be chilled for up to 1 day. Reheat it covered in a 275°F (135°C) bain-marie until the centre reaches 160°F (71°C), then rest and unmould. Freshly cooked remains the more delicate result.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 210g)