German cuisine · Meat & Kebab

Braised Hare with Cream Sauce

Saddle of hare braised with juniper and bay leaf, served in a cream sauce made from game stock and crème fraîche.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 2 saddles of hare (approx. 400 g each, boned)
• 10 juniper berries
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 onions
• 2 carrots
• 1/4 celeriac
• 150 ml red wine
• 400 ml game stock (or beef broth)
• 200 g crème fraîche
• 3 tbsp clarified butter
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Remove the silverskin from the hare saddles, pat dry, season with salt and pepper; dice the onions, carrots and celeriac into 1 cm cubes and crush the juniper berries with the flat of a knife.
2. Heat the clarified butter in a roasting pot and sear the meat over high heat for 5–6 min on all sides until golden brown, then remove and set aside.
3. Roast the root vegetables in the fat for 8 min until the edges darken, add the juniper and bay leaf and deglaze with the red wine; let the wine reduce almost completely.
4. Pour in the game stock, return the meat to the pot and braise covered in the oven at 150°C (300°F) for 45–50 min, until it yields easily when pressed with a fork.
5. Keep the meat warm, strain the stock through a sieve, stir in the crème fraîche, simmer uncovered for 8 min, then thicken with the cornstarch mixed with cold water into a glossy cream sauce.
6. Slice the saddles on the diagonal, coat with the cream sauce and serve with bread dumplings or spätzle.