This hare pâté recipe came about the way most things do here — a neighbour, a frozen hare, and a bottle of Osborne brandy at the back of the cupboard. Inspired by Simon Hopkinson's rabbit terrine from Roast Chicken and Other Stories, it's coarse, gamey, and considerably more rewarding than the effort involved would suggest.

Rabbit and hare are interchangeable here. If a neighbour hands you a rabbit, use it. If you're starting from a supermarket, rabbit is easier to find than hare and works just as well.

One note on the lining: Spanish bacon is widely available but thinly sliced pancetta from your butcher does a far better job here — better fat content, more flavour, and it holds its shape cleanly against the terrine sides. Ask them to slice it on the machine.

Hare Pâté Recipe — Ingredients & Method

• 600g hare meat, finely diced by hand (leg and saddle meat, sinew removed)
• 150g hare liver, finely diced
• 200g lardons
• 150g pork fillet, finely diced
• 150g pancetta, sliced thinly (ask your butcher to slice it on the machine)
• 1 medium onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 30g butter
• 8 juniper berries, crushed
• 3 tbsp Osborne brandy
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 tsp sea salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• ½ tsp ground allspice

Method

1. The day before: combine the diced hare meat, liver, lardons, and pork fillet in a bowl. Add the brandy, crushed juniper, thyme, allspice, salt, and pepper. Mix well, cover, and refrigerate overnight.
2. When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 170°C/Gas Mark 3.
3. Gently fry the onion and garlic in butter until soft and translucent. Allow to cool slightly.
4. Add the softened onion and garlic to the marinated meat mixture and combine thoroughly by hand.
5. Line a terrine mould or loaf tin with the pancetta slices, leaving enough overhang to fold over the top.
6. Pack the meat mixture in tightly, pressing down well. Fold the pancetta over the top and tuck in. Lay the bay leaves on top.
7. Cover tightly with foil and place in a bain-marie — a deep roasting tin with enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the terrine.
8. Bake for 1¼ to 1½ hours. The pâté is done when the juices run clear and it has pulled away slightly from the sides.
9. Remove from the bain-marie, leave to cool, then weight it lightly and refrigerate overnight before slicing.

To serve
Sourdough or rye. A few cornichons. Nothing else needed.

This hare pâté recipe is part of the Pâté & Rillettes Recipes hub — a complete collection of pâtés and rillettes from Casa Adora and the road.
It's also part of the Game Recipes hub — the full collection of game cooking from Casa Adora and the Andalucían countryside.
Find more recipes and food adventures here.
Wonky photos, proper food, genuine adventures — The Flexible Chef