Hare leg

100% hare meat

Hare stew is a classic game dish where the hare legs are stewed in a rich, spicy sauce. The dish is perfect for a fancy dinner or a special occasion. The meat is more tender due to the stewing, and the rich flavors of the sauce go perfectly with the game meat.

What do you need

• 2 hare legs (or more, depending on the number of people)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 tablespoons flour
• 250 ml red wine (preferably a full-bodied, dry wine)
• 500 ml game stock or beef stock
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 10 peppercorns (or more, depending on your taste)
• 1 tablespoon vinegar (for example apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar)
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• Salt to taste
• 100 g mushrooms, sliced

Preparation method

1. Seasoning and searing

Pat the hare legs dry with kitchen paper and season them on both sides with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Heat the butter in a frying pan or casserole over medium heat. Brown the hare legs on both sides, this takes about 5-7 minutes per side. Remove the hare legs from the pan and set aside.

2. Fry the vegetables and make the sauce

Add the chopped onion, carrots and crushed garlic to the pan and fry for 5 minutes until lightly golden. Add the flour and stir well, so that the flour coats the vegetables. Let this mixture fry for another 2-3 minutes to cook the flour.

Add the red wine to the pan and stir well to loosen the roasting residue from the bottom. Let the wine reduce for about 3 minutes, so that the alcohol evaporates. Then add the game stock, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, vinegar and sugar. Stir everything well and bring to the boil.

3. Add hare legs

Return the hare legs to the pan. Make sure the meat is almost completely submerged in the sauce. Turn the heat down and let it simmer gently for 1.5 to 2 hours. The meat should be cooked and tender, and the sauce should have thickened nicely.

If desired, add the mushrooms 30 minutes before the end of the stewing time. This will add extra flavor and texture to the dish.

Taste the sauce and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove the hare legs from the sauce and place them on a plate. Remove the thyme sprigs and the bay leaf from the sauce. Serve the hare legs with the rich sauce and the stewed vegetables.

4. Serving

Hare stew is traditionally served with hearty side dishes such as mashed potatoes, a rich risotto, boiled potatoes, or grilled vegetables