flipHare Civet from the Hills of the Hérault
Hare Civet from the Hills of the Hérault
Why this dish? Game appeared on the table of Montpellier notables during dinners that brought together artists and art lovers. Bruyas, who entertained painters and collectors at the family estate, offered his guests these prestige dishes slowly simmered in local wine.
A hare long simmered in Languedoc red wine, bound with its blood, perfumed with garrigue aromatics. The grand, rich, and deep reception dish of a patron's dinners.
When I received a Courbet or some amateur come to admire my canvases at my table, we served no paltry fare. This hare, my cook would melt it for half a day in the wine of our hillsides, until the sauce took on that dark, velvety color of a painting's background. They would still speak of it the next day, believe me, as much as of my acquisitions. A good civet loosens tongues better than any discourse on art.
- •Skinned hare with its blood — one animal (centerpiece)
- •Languedoc red wine — one bottle (marinade and sauce)
- •Belly pork — one piece (fat, base)
- •Onions and shallots — a dozen (aromatics)
- •Thyme, bay leaf, clove — one bouquet (aromatics)
- •Wine vinegar — a splash (acidity, blood binder)
Hare Civet from the Hills of the Hérault
A hare long simmered in Languedoc red wine, bound with its blood, perfumed with garrigue aromatics. The grand, rich, and deep reception dish of a patron's dinners.
Why this dish? Game appeared on the table of Montpellier notables during dinners that brought together artists and art lovers. Bruyas, who entertained painters and collectors at the family estate, offered his guests these prestige dishes slowly simmered in local wine.
When I received a Courbet or some amateur come to admire my canvases at my table, we served no paltry fare. This hare, my cook would melt it for half a day in the wine of our hillsides, until the sauce took on that dark, velvety color of a painting's background. They would still speak of it the next day, believe me, as much as of my acquisitions. A good civet loosens tongues better than any discourse on art.
Ingredients (period version)
- Skinned hare with its blood — one animal (centerpiece)
- Languedoc red wine — one bottle (marinade and sauce)
- Belly pork — one piece (fat, base)
- Onions and shallots — a dozen (aromatics)
- Thyme, bay leaf, clove — one bouquet (aromatics)
- Wine vinegar — a splash (acidity, blood binder)
Ingredients
- Hare (or hare legs) cut into pieces — 1.2 kg (centerpiece)
- Full-bodied red wine (Languedoc) — 75 cl (marinade and sauce)
- Smoked bacon lardons — 150 g (fat, base)
- Pearl onions — 12 (garnish)
- Shallots, garlic — 4 + 3 cloves (aromatics)
- Thyme, bay leaf, 2 cloves — 1 bouquet garni (aromatics)
- Red wine vinegar — 2 tablespoons (acidity)
- Flour — 2 tablespoons (thickener)
Method
- The day before, marinate the hare pieces in wine with aromatics, shallots, and a splash of vinegar.
- Drain and dry the meat, brown it in a casserole with the lardons. Sprinkle with flour and let it brown.
- Moisten with the strained marinade, add the bouquet garni, garlic, and pearl onions. Cover and simmer on low heat for 2 hours 30 minutes.
- If you have the blood (or poultry blood), stir it in off the heat at the end of cooking to thicken the sauce, without letting it boil.
- Adjust seasoning and serve very hot, with garlic-rubbed croutons.
How it was made : The civet (from *cive*, onion) was a highlight of bourgeois cuisine in the 19th century. The blood binding, inherited from the Middle Ages, gave the sauce its coating texture; it was accompanied by bread rather than potatoes, which were still little appreciated in the Midi.
The contemporary twist : Serve the civet in individual cassolettes with a celeriac purée whipped with olive oil, and a touch of orange zest to enliven the wine.
Alfred Bruyas · Charactorium
