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Hare Ragout (Hasenpfeffer)

4 servings

Ingredients

• Hare (forelegs, belly flap, head, heart, liver, lungs) (a little)
• Vinegar (a little)
• Salt (a little)
• Onions (a little)
• Whole peppercorns (a little)
• Cloves (a little)
• Bay leaves (a little)
• Butter (a little)
• Flour (a little)
• Sugar (a little)
• 1 glass Red wine
• Hare blood (as needed)

Instructions

1. Cut the forelegs and belly flap of the hare into pieces, wash thoroughly, and rinse off any hairs; split the head, wash everything along with the heart, liver, and lungs.
2. If you want to store the meat for a few days, cover it with vinegar and turn daily; this vinegar can later be used in cooking.
3. Place the meat in water, not completely covered, with the necessary salt, bring to a boil and skim well, then add plenty of diced onions, whole peppercorns, cloves, a few bay leaves, a piece of butter, vinegar, and flour browned in butter, without mixing it with water beforehand.
4. Once the meat is tender, stir in a little sugar and, if desired, 1 glass of red wine into the sauce.
5. If using fresh hare blood, mix it with a little vinegar and, when the ragout is finished, cook briefly; in this case, use only a little flour initially, as the blood will thicken the sauce anyway.

Modernized from a treasured 19th-century German cookbook.