HARE

Hares are vegetarians and most of them are active at night. The meat has a good texture and really tastes more like chicken than red meat, but with a clear gamey flavor.

Keep in mind

De-boning hare to make whole hare thigh fillets or rillettes (a pâté with intact meat fibers and a rather unique consistency) from the front legs can be a fiddly business. If you’re new to hare, start with a whole one and ask your butcher to prepare it for you.

Hare meat has a stronger taste than rabbit meat. Sometimes hare meat has a spicy game flavor. This can be reduced by soaking the meat in milk overnight so the tenderizing process can start.

How to cook hare

Place the whole hare in a casserole dish or a roasting bag and it will be beautifully tender with extra flavor:

Cut the hare into about 6 pieces. It isn’t very different from cutting up a chicken. Mix onion and garlic, cut in half, with chunks of root vegetables, pieces of hare meat and chopped bacon. Season with rosemary, salt and pepper. Stir together in a casserole dish or roasting bags. Roast for 2 1/2 hours at 140°C. When the hare is cooked, all you have to do is remove the meat from the bones.

Hare chili: Take the beautifully flavored meat from the recipe above and turn it into a great, lean chili.

You’ll find more ideas for cooking small game under cooking game.

The classic

Whole hare with gravy and a creamy root vegetable gratin.