#516 The Beginning of the beginning - Hare 'à la Royale

So now, without any further stalling, okay, so this is the first public writing I've done under my own name.
The first writing I've done under my own control entirely without anyone else telling me what to do in certain places.
Some of the posts I like enormously, some of the posts I quite like and I don't hate any of it. So I hope you stop, look, listen and learn something…

I intend to bring a wedge of food chat to complement the wine chat, much in the same way you would bring a chunk brie to have with a bottle of Soffocone di Vincigliata. So The Larousse Gastronomique seems like a fitting place to start. The book is the work of Prosper Montagné and it is the magnum opus to the majestic legacy of the French kitchen and it was first published in 1938. The information and recipes contained within its covers, tell you everything from basic culinary skills to detailing the most haute cuisine that is possible. The recipes range from the aristocratic to the country simple and if you can think of it, it will surely be contained within its pages.

Now come with me, I want to take you back to 1961. There were many outrageous, terrible and wonderful events that took place in that year of 1961. To mention but a few, there was a 17kg chimp called ‘Ham’ who survived being fired into space by the Americans on January 31^st. The Beatles performed at the Cavern Club for the first time. Jean-Claude Pascal won the Eurovision song contest with ‘Nous les amoureux’. It was the last time Tottenham Hotspur won the English League. It was also the first time a tie in major league baseball happened. Tom and Jerry made a comeback and Joseph Heller published Catch-22. Oh and Luxembourg decided by Grand Ducal Decree that their national day (The Grand Duke’s Birthday) would be the 23^rd of June.

However, there was another thing that happened, which is what I want to tell you about. It was the printing of a ludicrous recipe, one that I want to start this new era of the tasting note with, one that I have come back to time and time again and yet one I have never made. So without further delay, uncovered from the 1961 Edition of the Larousse Gastronomique I present to you the outrageous recipe for Hare 'à la Royale as prepared in Périgord (brace yourselves):

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When drawing the hare, collect all the blood carefully and set it aside to bind the stuffing, which will be used later.

Crush the paws of the hare. Remove the tendons. Interlard the fillets and legs with the best lardoons.

Meanwhile prepare the stuffing as follows:

Chop the liver, heart and lungs of the hare. Add to this about 7 ounces/200g of raw goose foie gras and about 3 ½ ounces/100g of fresh pork fat.

Add to this mixture 2cups/100g of bread soaked in clear soup and squeezed dry, a tablespoon of chopped onion, cooked very slowly in butter until tender and then left to cool, a soupçon of pounded garlic, 5 ounces/150g of chopped truffles and a pinch of chopped parsley. Bind this stuffing with the blood of the hare kept in reserve for this purpose. Season well.

Stuff the hare with this mixture. Carefully sew up the skin so as to hold the stuffing in. Truss the hare.

Braise the hare in a very little white wine for about two hours, basting frequently. At the last moment, brown the hare in the oven.

Drain and untie the hare. Put it on a long dish. Add to the braising stock a few tablespoons of demi-glace sauce based on concentrated game stock and 2 tablespoons of Armagnac. Strain and add 5 ounces/150g of shredded or diced truffles. Pour this sauce over the hare and serve.
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If this breathtaking recipe has left you smiling or speechless or both then I am glad. Hopefully you will buy some truffles this weekend. Finding a good story within a cookery book is such a treat and this surely is the golden snitch. This almost mythical French dish ‘Hare 'à la Royale' is not to be confused with a dish of the same name that is simply a hare smothered in shallots and garlic. 

"Oh no, how can a dish as rich and offensive as it is legendary exist?!" I hear you cry! 

For a long time it was regarded in Paris as the definitive culinary masterpiece. The Hare is described as being; a wild rodent with dark flesh, highly flavoured and excellent to eat. Also worth knowing is that the best hares are said to come from Beauce, Brie, Normandy, Champagne and Touraine. However, some excellent ones do also come Gascony and Périgord.  

Hey its Thursday, which means it’s almost time for the weekend and if you live in London IT IS one of the biggest nights out of the week and you now have Friday's tasting note to look forward to.

Remember the difference between tasting and drinking is thinking

Special thanks to Leo Anthias...

BONUS INFO

I recently tried some Fowles Wine and I think you should check them out because they are righteous. A proper post will be coming soon with an in depth rant about them and some special chat from Matt Fowles himself.

In the meantime here are two labels to get your juices going for the day: