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Leporem Farsilem (Stuffed Hare)
Leporem Farsilem (Stuffed Hare) is a traditional Ancient Roman recipe for a classic dish of rabbit or hare stuffed with a blend of chicken and brains bound with eggs that is wrapped in caul fat and slowly roasted before being served with a light sauce. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Ancient Roman version of: Stuffed Hare (Leporem Farsilem).
prep time
20 minutes
cook time
120 minutes
Total Time:
140 minutes
Serves:
4
Rating: 
Tags : Sauce RecipesChicken RecipesGame RecipesFowl RecipesAncient Roman Recipes
Original Recipe
Leporem farsilem: leporem curas, ornas, quadratum imponis. adicies in mortarium piper, ligusticum, origanum, suffundes liquamen, adicies iecinera gallinarum cocta, cerebella cocta, pulpam concisam, ova cruda tria, liquamine temperabis. omento teges et charta et surclas. lento igni subassas. adicies in mortarium piper, ligusticum, fricabis, suffundes liquamen, vino et liquamine temperabis, facies ut ferveat. cum ferbuerit, amulo obligas, et leporem subassatum perfundes. piper asparges et inferes.
Translation
Stuffed Hare: Clean and dress the hare then place on a roasting pan. Add to a mortar pepper, lovage, oregano. Pour stock over [these], and add cooked chicken, cooked brains and chopped meats. Then blend with three raw eggs and liquamen. [Use to stuff the hare] and wrap in caul fat and paper, bind together and roast over a slow fire. Bruise pepper and lovage in a mortar. Pour over liquamen, wine and juices from the roasting pan and bring to a boil. When boiling, thicken with starch and pour over the roast hare. Sprinkle with pepper and serve.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 whole, oven-ready rabbit or hare (about 1.2 kg)
For the Stuffing:
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 tsp
lovage seeds (or celery seeds)
1 tsp
oregano, crumbled
3 tbsp chicken stock
200g cooked chicken, finely chopped
50g cooked calf's brains (or tinned corned beef), chopped
1 egg
caul fat
For the Sauce:
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp lovage (or celery) seeds
2 tbsp liquamen (fish sauce)
200ml chicken or game stock
100ml pan juices
100ml white wine
1 tbsp cornflour (originally wheat starch, amulum, would have been used)
freshly-ground black pepper, to garnish
Method:
Begin with the stuffing. Pound together the black pepper, lovage (or celery) seeds and oregano in a mortar. Moisten with the chicken stock then beat in the chicken and calf's brains (or corned beef) then work in the egg to bind. Use this mixture to stuff the body cavity of the rabbit (or hare) then cover with the caul fat, sealing the forcemeat inside. Place in a roasting tin and transfer to an oven pre-heated to 160°C. Roast for 90 minutes, basting or brushing occasionally with olive oil
About 30 minutes before the rabbit is due to be ready, prepare a sauce. Pound together the black peppercorns and lovage (or celery) seeds in a mortar. Work in the liquamen and chicken or game stock then turn into a pan and add the white wine and any juices from the roast rabbit. Bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. At this point, whisk the cornflour to a smooth slurry with 2 tbsp water. Work this into the sauce, bring to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until thickened.
When the rabbit is done, arrange on a serving dish and pour over the sauce. Serve hot.
Find more recipes from Apicius' De Re Coquinaria along with information on Apicius and his cookbook, all part of this site's Ancient Roman recipes collection.
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