Hare Soup II is a traditional British recipe, based on Mrs Beeton's recipe of 1861, for a classic soup of hare, hare offal, beaf and vegetables cooked in a port wine stock flavoured with herbs and thickened with breadcrumbs and browned flour which is finished by pounding the hare meat in a mortar and using as a thickening agent along with the breadcrumbs. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic British version of: Hare Soup II.
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This is a traditional British recipe redacted from the redoubtable Mrs Beeton's 1861 volume Mrs Beeton's Book of Household Management, the classic Victorian cookbook.
Original Recipe
Proceed as above (see the recipe for hare soup I recipe); but, instead of putting the joints of the hare in the soup, pick the meat from the bones, pound it in a mortar, and add it, with the crumb of two French rolls, to the soup. Rub all through a sieve; heat slowly, but do not let it boil. Send it to table immediately.
Time.—8 hours. Average cost, 1s. 9d. per quart.
Seasonable from September to February.
Sufficient for 10 persons.
Modern Redaction
Ingredients:
1 hare
blood of the hare
liver of the hare
450g lean stewing beef
1 slice of ham, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
2 onions, chopped
1 bunch of savoury herbs, chopped
1/2 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
1 tbsp flour, dry-fried until brown
150ml port wine
200g breadcrumbs (preferably from French rolls)
salt and cayenne pepper, to taste
3l water
Method:
Prepare the hare, saving the liver and blood. Cut the are into serving pieces then place in a stockpot along with all the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer and cook gently for 8 hours. Take off the heat and allow to cool completely then place in the refrigerator over night.
The following day, strain the soup through a fine-meshed sieve then place in a large pan. Take the hare pieces and strip all the meat from the bones then add the hare meat to the soup stock.
Adjust the seasonings to taste, heat the soup through and serve immediately.
