Pain de Lièvre

Ingredients

Equipment Needed

• •Food processor with metal blade
• •1.5 litre loaf mould or terrine
• •2 litre straight-sided mould for the en belle-vue finish
• •Deep roasting pan for the bain-marie
• •Instant-read thermometer
• •Small board and 1 pound (450 g) weight

Instructions

1. 1

   Cool the panade

   Put the hare, fatback, processor bowl, and blade in the freezer for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, warm ½ cup of the cream and stir in ¾ cup of the breadcrumbs; cook over low heat until they form a thick panade, then spread it on a plate to cool completely. Soften the shallots in 1 tablespoon of the butter without colouring, add the Cognac, and cook until nearly dry. Cool this mixture as well. Warm ingredients melt the fat before it can bind, so nothing enters the processor above refrigerator temperature.

2. 2

   Pound the forcemeat

   Process the hare and fatback in small batches until finely minced, returning each batch to the cold as soon as it is done. Combine everything in the processor with the cold panade, shallots, eggs, salt, white pepper, and allspice. Process in short pulses until the forcemeat looks smooth, sticky, and lightly glossy. Stop if the bowl grows warm and chill it for 15 minutes before continuing; patience keeps the fat inside the loaf instead of leaving it in the mould.

3. 3

   Test the binding

   Melt 1 teaspoon of the remaining butter in a small pan and cook a tablespoon of forcemeat completely. Let the sample cool before tasting, because cold mutes seasoning. It should hold together without crumbling and feel moist rather than greasy. If it is dry or breaks apart, process in reserved cream 1 tablespoon at a time; if it is slack, add the reserved breadcrumbs a spoonful at a time. If the fat begins to smear, chill the mixture before touching it again. Ça se rattrape.

4. 4

   Mould and bake

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C). Butter a 1.5 litre loaf mould and line its long sides and base with parchment, leaving enough overhang to help lift the pain later. Pack in the forcemeat by firm handfuls, pressing each into the corners so no air pockets remain, then smooth the top. Cover with buttered parchment and foil, set the mould in a deep roasting pan, and add hot water to reach halfway up its sides. Bake until the centre reaches 160°F (71°C), about 60 to 75 minutes. The bain-marie must only murmur at the edges; vigorous boiling tightens the meat and drives out its fat.

5. 5

   Chill under light weight

   Lift the mould from the bain-marie and let it stand for 20 minutes. Replace the foil with a small board or a second loaf tin and add about 1 pound (450 g) of weight, just enough to close the texture without squeezing out its moisture. Refrigerate for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. Do not turn it out merely cool. If the loaf flexes when lifted, return it to the mould and chill for another hour; the hard set is what preserves the shape.

6. 6

   Coat and decorate

   Lift out the cold pain, remove the parchment, and trim any ragged edges. Bring the chaud-froid sauce from Poularde en Chaud-froid (No. 1689) just to a thick pouring consistency over barely warm water, then let it cool until it coats a spoon without running clear. Set the pain on a rack over a tray and cover it with two thin coats, chilling each until firm. Arrange the truffle slices on the broad face chosen for presentation, then brush them with a little of the prepared aspic to hold them in place.

7. 7

   Set en belle-vue

   Pour a 5 mm layer of clear aspic jelly from Poularde en Chaud-froid (No. 1689) into a clean 2 litre mould that leaves a narrow space around the pain. Chill until tacky but not hard, then lay the decorated face of the pain against this layer so it will appear on top after turning out. Add cool, half-melted aspic around the sides in two additions, allowing the first to set before adding the rest. If the loaf starts to float, hold it in position with two skewers laid across the mould until that first addition firms, then remove them and continue. Chill until hard, at least 2 hours.

8. 8

   Turn out cold

   Dip only the outside of the mould in warm water for 5 seconds, dry it, cover with a chilled platter, and invert in one confident movement. If it does not release, wrap the mould briefly in a warm towel rather than dipping it repeatedly, which would melt the clear edges. Refrigerate the turned-out pain for 15 minutes, then cut it with a thin knife warmed in hot water and wiped dry between slices. Serve cold, while the aspic is lucid and the loaf stands firm. À table!

Chef Tips

• •Ask a game butcher for boneless hare meat with every trace of shot and damaged flesh removed. Hare is darker, leaner, and more forceful than rabbit. Rabbit will make a good cold pain, but it becomes Pain de Lapin and needs no pretending otherwise.
• •Keep the forcemeat cold from first cut to filled mould. A warm mixture loses its emulsion, and the fat then gathers in a greasy rim instead of remaining finely held through the hare.
• •Choose the inner and outer moulds before beginning. The second should leave roughly 1 cm around the pain for the clear jelly; too wide a gap buries the meat, while no gap leaves the aspic too fragile to turn out.
• •Serve thick slices with cornichons, bitter leaves dressed sharply with mustard, and toasted country bread. A lightly chilled cru Beaujolais has enough fruit for the hare and enough freshness for the cold aspic.

Advance Preparation

• •Prepare Poularde en Chaud-froid (No. 1689) separately before beginning, with its chaud-froid sauce and clear aspic ready for the final coating and moulding.
• •The baked pain can remain weighted in its mould for up to 2 days before coating. Keep it tightly covered and cold.
• •Complete the en belle-vue finish the day before serving. Once turned out, the pain keeps for 3 days under refrigeration, but it should not be frozen because thawed aspic releases water and loses its clarity.

Frequently Asked Questions

Nutrition Information

1 serving (about 475g)