Pain de Lièvre

Pain de Lièvre (cold moulded hare loaf) teaches the first law of the cold table: the shape is won before the decoration begins. The forcemeat must bind while cold, cook gently, and chill until absolutely firm. Turn it out while merely cool and it slumps; chill it hard and every slice stands clean beneath its clear jelly.

The classical entry assumed a saucier, poultry cooking liquor and aspic always ready, plus enough hands to pound meat, tend a bain-marie, coat the pain, and build its en belle-vue finish without breaking stride. At home, a food processor replaces the mortar, two loaf moulds replace special presentation moulds, and Poularde en Chaud-froid (No. 1689), prepared separately, supplies the required coating and aspic. One cook, one stove, one evening of work; the refrigerator does the night shift.

The bread or rice cushion, carved ice, and elaborate cold-table supports were service scaffolding, so they go. The fine forcemeat, firm moulding, chaud-froid coating, truffle decoration, and hard jelly set are the dish, so they stay. Test a spoonful of forcemeat before filling the mould, then give the finished pain its full cold rest before turning it out.