Hare Civet with Arbois Wine
A hare cut into pieces, marinated then long-simmered in a full-bodied red wine with lardons, onions, and mushrooms, the sauce thickened with blood according to civet tradition — rich, deep, perfumed with juniper.
A hare cut into pieces, marinated then long-simmered in a full-bodied red wine with lardons, onions, and mushrooms, the sauce thickened with blood according to civet tradition — rich, deep, perfumed with juniper.
Ah, the day we came back with a fine hare in the game bag! We'd marinate it for two days in Arbois red wine with juniper berries, then simmer it for hours at the hearth until the meat fell off the bone. The secret is to thicken the sauce with the blood at the end, off the heat — never boil after that, or you'll ruin it! That's a hunter's dish, robust and honest, like the painting I do: without artifice and without lies.
- •Hare — 1, with its blood (meat and thickener)
- •Jura red wine (Arbois) — 1 bottle (marinade and sauce)
- •Smoked bacon — a thick slice (fat base)
- •Onions and juniper berries — a few (aromatics)
- •Stale bread — a crust (to thicken if needed)
Hare Civet with Arbois Wine
A hare cut into pieces, marinated then long-simmered in a full-bodied red wine with lardons, onions, and mushrooms, the sauce thickened with blood according to civet tradition — rich, deep, perfumed with juniper.
Why this dish? Courbet was a passionate hunter — he painted many hunting scenes and game (deer, roe deer, the kill). Game brought back from the beat made the feast of the great tables in Ornans. The civet, long-simmered in wine from the neighboring Jura, was the celebratory dish that crowned those days.
Ah, the day we came back with a fine hare in the game bag! We'd marinate it for two days in Arbois red wine with juniper berries, then simmer it for hours at the hearth until the meat fell off the bone. The secret is to thicken the sauce with the blood at the end, off the heat — never boil after that, or you'll ruin it! That's a hunter's dish, robust and honest, like the painting I do: without artifice and without lies.
Ingredients (period version)
- Hare — 1, with its blood (meat and thickener)
- Jura red wine (Arbois) — 1 bottle (marinade and sauce)
- Smoked bacon — a thick slice (fat base)
- Onions and juniper berries — a few (aromatics)
- Stale bread — a crust (to thicken if needed)
Ingredients
- Hare or venison pieces — 1.2 kg (meat)
- Full-bodied red wine (Arbois or Côtes-du-Jura) — 75 cl (marinade and sauce)
- Smoked bacon lardons — 150 g (fat base)
- Pearl onions and 250 g mushrooms — 12 onions (garnish)
- Juniper berries, bay leaf, thyme — 5 berries + bouquet (aromatics)
- Hare blood (or 1 tbsp flour) — as available (sauce thickener)
Method
- Marinate the meat for 24 to 48 hours in the fridge in the wine with onion, juniper, thyme, and bay leaf.
- Drain and pat dry the pieces; brown them in a casserole with the lardons.
- Add the strained marinade, salt, pepper, and simmer covered for 2 to 2½ hours over low heat.
- Sauté the onions and mushrooms separately, add them at the end of cooking.
- Off the heat, thicken the sauce with the blood (or dissolved flour) without ever boiling again; serve with fresh pasta or steamed potatoes.
How it was made : The term *civet* refers to any game stew thickened with the animal's blood (the word comes from *cives*, onions). Game, sometimes tough, required a wine marinade and very long cooking at the hearth. The blood-thickening, added at the last moment, gave the sauce its dark color and velvety texture.
The contemporary twist : Served as a civet shepherd's pie, the shredded meat under a fine mashed potato topping, for a contemporary bistro twist.
Gustave Courbet · Charactorium