Civet de Lièvre aux Raisins (Civet of Hare with Raisins)
Civet de Lièvre aux Raisins (Civet of Hare with Raisins) is a traditional French recipe for a classic stew of jointed hare cooked in a red wine sauce with bacon, hare offal, onions, herbs, raisins and pine nut kernels. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic French version of: Civet of Hare with Raisins (Civet de Lièvre aux Raisins).
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Ingredients:
For the Red Wine Marinade:
400ml robust red wine
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 bayleaf
60ml red wine vinegar
2 tbsp olive oil
60ml brandy
1 carrot, finely chopped
1 celery stick (with leaves) chopped
2 stalks of parsley
1 sprig of thyme
6 black peppercorns
4 allspice berries
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
For the Hare:
1 hare, jointed (keep the liver, heart, lungs and kidneys)
pared zest of 1 lemon
generous pinch of ground cinnamon
4 cloves
1/2 tsp sugar
4 tbsp oil
180g smoked bacon, diced
2 onions, coarsely chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
5 tbsp plain flour
1 bunch fresh herbs, chopped
60g seedless raisins
50g pine kernels
1 tbsp oil
2 tsp Dijon mustard
Method:
Combine the jointed hare, reserved hare offal, lemon zest, cinnamon, cloves and sugar in a shallow dish. Pour over the red wine marinade mixture then cover and set aside in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Drain the marinade (strain and reserve 300ml) then pat the hare pieces dry and set the hare offal aside.
Coat the hare pieces with the flour then heat the oil in a flame-proof casserole and use to brown the bacon, onions, garlic and floured hare pieces for about 10 minutes, or until well coloured. Add the reserved marinade and the chopped herbs and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook gently for 150 minutes.
Soak the raisins in warm water for 30 minutes to plump them up then drain. Once the civet has cooked for 2 1/2 hours stir in the raisins and pine kernels and cook for 30 minutes further. In the meantime, add 1 tbsp oil to a pan and when hot use to quickly brown the hare offal (if not available substitute chicken livers). Take off the heat, turn into a blender, add the mustard and a little of hare sauce then purée until smooth. Stir this into the casserole and allow to heat through (but do not boil). Serve immediately.
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